- Ginetta is one of the biggest race car constructors in the world
- The U.K. company has just launched a road car packing a 600-hp V-8
- The car is called an Akula, which in Russian means “shark”
Ginetta's Akula sports car is ready for production, five years after the company previewed it as a concept at the Geneva auto show.
The car is priced from 275,000 British pounds (approximately $361,000), and was developed to be at home on both the road and track, its makers claim.
According to U.K.-based Ginetta, the Akula was developed to be a car that can set impressive lap times around a punishing racetrack like Germany's Nürburgring and then be safely and comfortably driven home.
Ginetta is one of the biggest race car constructors in the world, but has also dabbled in the area of road cars over the years. The company has had a U.S. operation since 2021, though it isn't clear whether the Akula will be offered here.
Ginetta Akula
The car, whose name in Russian means “shark,” was developed using lessons learned from decades of racing. In particular, the aerodynamic package was delivered from Ginetta's former G61-LT-P1 LMP1 race car. It consists of a front splitter, dive planes, rear wing, and rear diffuser, plus a flat floor.
The suspension design also comes from motorsports. An adjustable pushrod activated double wishbone suspension system, as used in Ginetta’s LMP1 car, is used at each corner, while adjustable anti-roll bars feature at both ends. Aluminum wheels measuring 20 inches sit at each corner and come wrapped in 265/35-size tires up front and 305/35-size tires at the rear. Steel brake rotors are standard but carbon-ceramic replacements are available.
Power comes from a 6.4-liter V-8 developed in-house. The engine features an aluminum block and titanium valve train, and manages to deliver a peak 600 hp. It sits in a front-midship position and drives the rear wheels only via a standard 6-speed manual with a triple-plate clutch or an available 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Ginetta's own limited-slip differential completes the drivetrain package.
Carbon fiber is used for both the body and central tub, and Ginetta has also gone with carbon for the front and rear subframes. This has helped to reduce weight to a lithe 2,623 pounds.
Ginetta Akula
Ginetta Akula
Ginetta Akula
The interior design is very close to what you'll find in a race car but Ginetta has installed a few creature comforts like an infotainment system with full iOS integration, a wireless phone charger, cup holders, and a heating function for the windshield. In an effort to save weight, the seats are built directly into the central tub. An electronically adjustable steering column and pedal box enable the driver to find a comfortable seating position.
Performance claims include 0-62 mph acceleration in 2.9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 180 mph.
Just 20 examples will be built and the first has been claimed by Ginetta owner Lawrence Tomlinson. The production run celebrates the 20th anniversary of Tomlinson acquiring Ginetta.
“My name is definitely down for Akula number one,” Tomlinson, who won the GT2 class at the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of a Panoz Esperante GT-LM, said in a statement.
