Q: How much will a kit cost?
A: It depends! A full car less engine/ gearbox and associated ancillaries such as exhaust, radiator and engine management would cost R116 000.00 (£ 8900.00) plus Taxes. A bare chassis and body kit with no mechanicals or trim would cost R54 000.00 (£ 4 153.00)
A: The car is built in South Africa, the same country that builds the Noble M400, for the same reasons! We can produce the same quality product less expensively here than is possible in the UK
Q: Can I drive my car on the roads?
A: Absolutely yes! It is at the core of our philosophy to create a race car experience for two people, and a sports car that is easy and fun to drive on the road. The Type 5 captures this crossover perfectly. Be preparared to have your picture taken a lot, and to be called "Shumacher" at the stop lights. You will feel like a movie star in the Type 5.
Q: Is there a lockable storage compartment?
A: Yes. The bonnet is weather proof and a locking option is available. There are also storage places in the side pods for jackets etc.
Q: Is there an all weather option or hard top?
A: There is no all weather option available for the Type 5. If it's raining, take your other car out.
Q: Is there a full windscreen option?
A: The Type 5 uses wind deflectors instead of a full windscreen. This makes for comfortable motoring, but saves the weight of a screen and wipers etc that must go with it.
Q: What engines can it take? I’m a VW enthusiast.
A: We have chosen the Toyota 4AGE 20 valve unit because it offers fantastic performance for minimum money and is available all over the world. However, for those customers that want even more, the Type 5 will accept many other transverse engine/gearbox configurations. The VW unit is another popular choice.
Q: What brakes does it use?
A: The car uses standard Corolla Discs and Calipers all round. These brakes are designed to stop a 1200kg family saloon. They cope with half that weight very well. For more extreme applications, there are many brake upgrade kits available as a bolt on. The car uses a brake bias adjuster to balance the brake force distribution to suit varying surface/grip conditions.
Q: Does the car have a rear wing option?
A: There is a rear wing option, as well as other aerodynamic options including a front splitter and rear diffuser as well as body vents on the front wings.
A: The Prototype has reached speeds of 210km/h but to date we haven't had the opportunity to discover it's maximum speed. Of course, the maximum speed depends on the aerodynamic configuration, power output, gearing and other factors such as ride height.
The important thing is that as the car gets to higher speeds, it start to generate significant amounts of down force, and remains very stable, even at these higher speeds.
A more significant measure of it's performance is that it laps considerably faster than the Lotus Elise, and the 3,6 Porsche 911. It's a very fast car and reaches 100km/h in around 5 seconds.
Q: Where is the fuel tank and what is it made of?
A: The basic tank option is an Alloy tank with an integral swirl chamber fitted with twin pumps, one a scavenge and the other a supply unit. This is mounted in the centre of the car, behind the driver. It is supplied with cold air and causes very little change is weight distribution as fuel is burned off. A bladder option is also available.
Q: What is the weight distribution?
A: The car has a 60/40% rearward bias. It weighs 650kg dry.
Q: Why would I buy this car instead of a Lotus 7 type car?
A: The Type 5 offers a fresh styling and engineering approach to the “Lotus 7” Type cars. It takes advantage of modern engine and gearbox packaging solutions, freeing up space inside the car for passengers as well as improving safety and comfort. The Rear Mid mounted engine and weight distribution offers great handling and excellent traction. This all adds up to give you the option of all the same fun offered by the immortal 7, but in a modern car with extremely strong styling. If it's the 7 Style you're looking for, then the Type 5 may not work for you. But if you like the styling and want to drive an original, then this may be the answer you've been looking for.