You could say the same thing about the T. The Bristol Fighter T, that is. Despite sourcing its power from an 8-litre V10, usually found traversing the USA in a Dodge Viper, the Fighter T is as British as cucumber sandwiches and botched penalty shootouts.
It's got that understated British look. No brushed aluminium trim or exposed carbon fibre here. That'd be far too ostentatious for a car generally favoured by wealthy yet chronically withdrawn aristocrats.There's a few visual nods to the awesome power on tap under the hood. Bristol aficionados will spot the twin side-mounted exhausts and subtle rear spoiler, but for the most part the Fighter T looks almost inconspicuous.
But don't be fooled. The Fighter T is quick.
That Yank-sourced all-aluminium block has been fitted with twin turbos allowing it to produce... wait for it... 1012bhp. Yes, that's more than a Bugatti Veyron.
The torque figures are equally frightening. The Fighter T develops over 900lb ft of torque between 3500rpm and 6000rpm, with 1036lb ft available at just 4500rpm.
All of which is enough to propel the Fighter T from 0-60 in less than 3.5 seconds, and on to an electronically limited maximum speed of 225mph. Bristol says that if it removed the limiter, the Fighter would still be accelerating past 270.
Bristol are targeting the Mercedes/McLaren SLR market with the Fighter T, and with those performance figures such a boast doesn't look too silly. But with a high roofline and narrow body, the Fighter looks nothing like any of the wide, wedge-like supercars on the market today. Why not?
The trick, says Bristol, is all in the drag. A rear wake diffuser gives the Fighter T a drag coefficient of just 0.27 compared to the Bugatti Veyron's 0.39. Which means that the Fighter T is as slippery as a greased eel, and doesn't need much in the way of downforce-inducing gubbins.
No, it's not exactly attractive. Then again, neither is the SLR McLaren. And does that have leather-matched varnish? Thought not.
Interestingly, Bristol isn't exactly sure how many Fighter Ts it will make. Production starts soon, with the first deliveries expected late next summer. But with only 20 Fighters produced each year it's unlikely that more than a handful of T-specified cars will be made.
If you can convince Bristol to build you one, the Fighter T will set you back about £335,000. That's less than half the price of a Veyron. Bargain.
© Source: original article on topgear
