Unveiled: New 200mph Arash AF8 supercar unveiled

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New 200mph Arash AF8 supercar unveiled
British manufacturer Arash launches new 550bhp AF8 supercar; claimed 0-60mph of 3.5sec and set to cost ?165,000


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British manufacturer Arash has unveiled its new mid-engined AF8 supercar, which is set to rival cars like the Noble M600.

Official performance figures have yet to be confirmed, but the ?165,000 Arash is reputed to be capable of 200mph and 0-60mph in 3.5sec.

Power comes from a dry-sumped 7.0-litre LS7 Chevrolet V8. In standard form the V8 produces 505bhp and 470lb ft, but the Arash features upgrades including a carbonfibre intake system and a high-performance exhaust system, resulting in outputs of 550bhp and 472lb ft.

A six-speed manual transmission, with an independent oil cooler for added reliability, sends drive to the rear wheels. Stopping power is provided by six-piston calipers acting on 380mm floating ventilated steel discs at the front, and four-piston callipers and 362mm floating ventilated discs at the rear.

Underpinning the Arash AF8 is a tubular steel chassis that features 'hybrid' carbonfibre reinforced and aluminium honeycomb structures for the passenger compartment panelling. A kerb weight of just 1200kg is quoted, 195kg lighter than the ?208,000 Ferrari 458 Speciale.

High tensile steel side impact tubes and a roll cage serve to improve the chassis' durability and safety, while kevlar and carbonfibre-reinforced plastics are used in strategic points to provide extra strength.

The AF8 uses a conventional suspension system, with double wishbones all round and oil-filled dampers, and a power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering set-up, the column of which benefits from adjustable rake and reach.

Arash has constructed the exterior panel work from carbonfibre, and a range of ten solid finishes and some metallic finishes will be offered. The company can paint the body in clear coat, leaving the carbonfibre naked, or wrap the car in a specific design.

Aerodynamics have not been overlooked either, with the AF8 having a flat underfloor, an exhaust-driven rear diffuser and front and rear spoilers.

The use of lightweight materials carries through to the interior, which is finished primarily in carbonfibre. It benefits from upmarket-looking details like a leather and carbonfibre-finished steering wheel, and many buyers will no doubt also appreciate the fitment of a conventional mechanical handbrake.

Equipment includes five-way traction control, touchscreen sat-nav, Bluetooth connectivity, a heated front windscreen, Bi-Xenon headlights and LED rear lights.

Only 36 'First Edition' cars will be built, costing ?165,000, all of which will be finished in the yellow colour pictured. These First Edition cars will feature titanium-coloured brake callipers, a carbonfibre rear wing and a carbonfibre engine cover.

Previous models from Arash include the Farboud GT and the 220mph-capable AF10.

Source: autocar​
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The AF10 is a bloody good looking car, and Arash seems like a real down to Earth car guy in interviews.
And that's an awful picture (it's not a shop it's a photograph, just badly post-prod'ed), but in others it ticks my boxes at least (maybe not the rear lights box)

track_9.jpg

track_8.jpg
 
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Why does it have an Iranian name?

Front looks OK, back is horrible.
 
Given the number of one-off and start-up supercars over the year, I have a serious question... Who would actually be interested in one of these? No, I don't want a Ferrari or a Lamborghini or a Ford GT or a Corvette or a Porsche etc etc etc; I want this random unproven car that no one will recognize, that might not even run more than 4 miles. I just don't understand the logic behind it...
 
LeVeL said:
Given the number of one-off and start-up supercars over the year, I have a serious question... Who would actually be interested in one of these? No, I don't want a Ferrari or a Lamborghini or a Ford GT or a Corvette or a Porsche etc etc etc; I want this random unproven car that no one will recognize, that might not even run more than 4 miles. I just don't understand the logic behind it...
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Koenigsegg was that guy back when they were trying to sell the CC8S back in 2002. Now look at them.
And what did people think about the very first Pagani Zonda C12 back in 1999?
 
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LeVeL said:
Given the number of one-off and start-up supercars over the year, I have a serious question... Who would actually be interested in one of these? No, I don't want a Ferrari or a Lamborghini or a Ford GT or a Corvette or a Porsche etc etc etc; I want this random unproven car that no one will recognize, that might not even run more than 4 miles. I just don't understand the logic behind it...
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If I was filthy rich, like really filthy fukken rich, I would love to start a collection of these types of odd supercars. It would be interesting to see if they might be worth something in a few decades, since they're unlikely to sell that many. And if the company did take off and become successful, like Pagani, then having one of the very early production cars would be desirable.

But if I only managed to scrape together enough cabbage to buy just one supercar, yeah, this wouldn't be it. Give me a black or dark gray 458 Italia.
 
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CrazyRussian540 said:
Koenigsegg was that guy back when they were trying to sell the CC8S back in 2002. Now look at them.
And what did people think about the very first Pagani Zonda C12 back in 1999?
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I agree that you have to start somewhere, but you also have to consider how many of these small "boutique" level companies have tried the same thing and failed.

Information about the guy who is the namesake of this Arash company (Arash Faroud) is kind of sparse, but it sounds like he is a trust fund kid that got shutdown by Porsche when he wanted to buy a 911 GT1 LeMans protype car and they told him no. So he did the rich kid thing and started his own.

In comparison, Horatio Pagani already had a very successful career at Lamborghini and had an already succesful custom automotive manufacturing company for a while before they started what is supposedly a 7 year design process for the first Zonda.

The Koenigsegg comparison is more apt since he started the company at a young age(22) with no real previous automotive experience beyond working as a mechanic on Suzuki's and Mopeds, but it was for very different reasons. The more I read about it, the more I'm flabbergasted that he even got the prototype completed, not to mention starting this hugely successful car company that has been at the bleeding edge of the industry from day one. It is even more incredible when you consider he has no formal engineering education (or college at all) and relies mostly on his own intuition and finding the right people to put it into fruition.

This Arash car and many like it seem like bad kit cars in comparison IMHO. I'm sure its fun to drive, but it is not even close to being on the same level as Koenigsegg or Pagani.
 
Electric-Mayhem said:
The Koenigsegg comparison is more apt since he started the company at a young age(22) with no real previous automotive experience beyond working as a mechanic on Suzuki's and Mopeds, but it was for very different reasons. The more I read about it, the more I'm flabbergasted that he even got the prototype completed, not to mention starting this hugely successful car company that has been at the bleeding edge of the industry from day one. It is even more incredible when you consider he has no formal engineering education (or college at all) and relies mostly on his own intuition and finding the right people to put it into fruition.
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Is this or has this ever been the case?
 
LeVeL said:
Given the number of one-off and start-up supercars over the year, I have a serious question... Who would actually be interested in one of these? No, I don't want a Ferrari or a Lamborghini or a Ford GT or a Corvette or a Porsche etc etc etc; I want this random unproven car that no one will recognize, that might not even run more than 4 miles. I just don't understand the logic behind it...
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I doubt it would not run more than 4 miles - it's a GM V8, it'll run after a nuclear war.
And Arash's style is to simplify everything, no paddle shift, just a manual. No electronic dash. No buttons on the steering wheel. No hydraulic active race mode suspension or whatever. Steel brakes for on-road practicality. He's said before they're inspired by Lotus' simplify and add lightness philosophy.
I think, as driving enthusiasts, we can all appreciate a company not trying to blind us by pissing pointless technology in our faces when they could just give us a straight up manual feeling car.

Electric-Mayhem said:
but it sounds like he is a trust fund kid that got shutdown by Porsche when he wanted to buy a 911 GT1 LeMans protype car and they told him no. So he did the rich kid thing and started his own.
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Heh, I thought it was that he applied to buy an Enzo and Ferrari overlooked him, so he built the AF10 as a Ferruccio Lamborghini/Ford GT40 style "Well fuck you then, Ferrari".
Yeah apparently he's fortunate with the money he's come into, but he seems like a legit enthusiast. I'd be doing the same thing if I had the money.
 
Jimi Hendrix said:
Is this or has this ever been the case?
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Yes. I'm not gonna hold you hand through it but there are many things either on the car or in development that are at the cutting edge of the automotive industry. The most interesting and potentially groundbreaking one is the independently controllable camless valve train they are developing, as seen in this video....


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GraemeH said:
I doubt it would not run more than 4 miles - it's a GM V8, it'll run after a nuclear war.
And Arash's style is to simplify everything, no paddle shift, just a manual. No electronic dash. No buttons on the steering wheel. No hydraulic active race mode suspension or whatever. Steel brakes for on-road practicality. He's said before they're inspired by Lotus' simplify and add lightness philosophy.
I think, as driving enthusiasts, we can all appreciate a company not trying to blind us by pissing pointless technology in our faces when they could just give us a straight up manual feeling car.



Heh, I thought it was that he applied to buy an Enzo and Ferrari overlooked him, so he built the AF10 as a Ferruccio Lamborghini/Ford GT40 style "Well fuck you then, Ferrari".
Yeah apparently he's fortunate with the money he's come into, but he seems like a legit enthusiast. I'd be doing the same thing if I had the money.
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Its possible that he got shut down by multiple different companies since due to a lack of sufficient history with the company required for their super exclusive cars. The only instance I found with a bit of light searching was the Porsche version though, and it was for the original "GT" and "GTS" that his company, then called Faroud motor cars, made and then sold to Ginetta, who produced it as the the Ginetta F400.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginetta_F400. They then changed the name of the company to his first name, Arash, and made the AF10 and now the AF8.
 
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GraemeH said:
I doubt it would not run more than 4 miles - it's a GM V8, it'll run after a nuclear war.
And Arash's style is to simplify everything, no paddle shift, just a manual. No electronic dash. No buttons on the steering wheel. No hydraulic active race mode suspension or whatever. Steel brakes for on-road practicality. He's said before they're inspired by Lotus' simplify and add lightness philosophy.
I think, as driving enthusiasts, we can all appreciate a company not trying to blind us by pissing pointless technology in our faces when they could just give us a straight up manual feeling car.
Click to expand...

And yet the price is three times that of a Z06 Corvette, which gives you basically the same things only with factory warranty, the press photos look like something I made with MS Paint and he (Mr. Arash) has absolutely no credible background or history in automotive design or engineering.

Call me cynical but to me this is yet another rich kid's little "look at me" project which will die in a very swift yet silent manner and leaving nobody to grief over the loss. As others have already mentioned, this is in no way comparable to Pagani or Koenigsegg. Gumpert, Ascari and Spyker all had much more money to put where their mouth was and all of them went exactly the same route.

Next please.
 
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