Aspid is the result of a five-year development programme by automotive engineering consultancy IFR Automotive.

The goal of the project was to create a sportscar capable of delivering track performances thanks to a very high power-to-weight ration and a stiff and lightweight chassis.

The car is powered by a custom 2-liter engine in naturally aspirated/turbocharged versions with a power output of - respectively - 270 and 400 hp.

The unit is coupled with a manual 6-speed transmission with rear-wheel drive and limited-slip differential.

Thanks to the lightweight aluminum and carbon structure, and the 1.75kg/ hp power-to-weight ratio, the Aspid has a mass of 700kgand sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and from 0 to 160 km/h in 5.9 seconds. 

Braking from 160 km/h to 0 takes just 3.0 seconds; the max lateral acceleration during cornering reaches 1.6g and the top speed is limited to 250 km/h.

The Aspid meets both FIA safety requirements and European homologation standards, so it can be driven from the road directly onto the race track without the need for any special preparation. 

The car is a technology showcase for the company and will be unveiled at the British International Motor Show in London (from 23 July to 3 August 2008).

The first cars will be available for testing later this year, and the sales will start on summer 2009.

The IFR Aspid will be produced in a limited series of units highly customized to suit the customers' requirements and will have a base price of €95,000, with the top versions costing twice as much.

About IFR

IFR Automotive was founded in 2003 by automotive engineer Ignacio Fernández Rodriquez, who is currently managing director, and whose initials give the company its name.

Formerly with Prodrive, Rodriquez subsequently joined the Mitsubishi World Rally Championship team as race engineer for Alister McRae and François Delecour. 

The development team of the Aspid includes experienced automotive engineers - many with a motorsport background - such as Chief dynamics engineer Breno Oliveira, who also worked at Prodrive. 

For more information visit www.ifrautomotive.com.

The Aspid project

“For the Aspid our aim was to advance the current state-of-the-art particularly in the critical area of steering, handling and road holding,” says Rodriquez. 

“We have taken a new approach on vehicle dynamics, including a new construction method for the chassis, as well as developing new brakes and suspension arms.  We’ve also broken with the tradition that says a long wheelbase, wide track and low ride height is best for performance; our chassis and suspension philosophy ensures the car can also be driven with ease on normal roads.” 

“The electronics too are highly innovative and include a sophisticated interface between the driver and the car; a mere touch of the interactive screen located in the centre console and the Aspid is instantly reprogrammed with a whole new set-up to suit different road and track conditions.  But mostly it will be the car’s rapid acceleration, cornering poise and equally brisk deceleration that will ensure a memorable driving experience.”

The Aspid’s natural proving ground for its development includes the notorious mountainous roads used for the main stages of the Catalonia Rally. 

The mountains are near Reus in northern Spain, where the company is based, close to the coastal cities of Tarragona and Barcelona.   Also conveniently nearby are the new vehicle technology park and race circuits of the MotorLand Aragón project now under construction at Alcañiz.

(Source: IFR Automotive)