This is the Arash AF-10, Britain’s newest supercar, from the man who originally created the Farbio (nee Farboud) GTS. That man was Arash Farboud (hence the names) and CAR’s exclusive renderings reveal the look of his new car, the AF-10. You can see more images and details on the Arash AF-10 in the new October 2008 issue of CAR Magazine.
Power comes from a Corvette Z06 V8, mid-mounted and cradled in a carbonfibre chassis. At £170k the AF-10 offers a construction that Gallardos and F430s just can’t match, while you’ll need double the Farboud’s asking price to get something similar from Pagani or Koenigsegg. The first Arash AF-10 is being built now and will be unveiled in the next few months, before sales start in mid-2009.
Before I get pessimistic, let’s be positive – talk me through the technical details of the Arash AF-10…
Let’s start with that engine, and frankly you’d be shocked to learn if a new British supercar offered anything but a big American V8. Not wanting to deviate from the path of cheap, reliable power, the AF-10 uses the 7.0-litre lump from the Corvette Z06, but it’s mid-mounted and tweaked intakes and a new exhaust lift power from 498bhp to ‘over 530bhp’.
Farboud has also managed to secure a supply of Graziano gearboxes that are pretty similar to the system found in the Ferrari Enzo, only the AF-10 will use it as god intended – as a manual transmission.
What else stands out about the AF-10?
Apart from the supercar looks, the pièce de résistance is the carbon construction. Both the bodywork and chassis are carbonfibre, built to Farboud’s specifications by one of Britain’s leading F1 suppliers. A new construction technique means 12 separate carbon parts are created, autoclaved, then bonded and screwed together on a jig, before being cured in an oven to set the glue.
This cuts the cost of a carbonfibre chassis in half, and takes the production time down from a few weeks to a few days. And it means the AF-10 will weigh less than 1200kg.
Click ‘Next’ to read more about the Arash AF-10
Read a full version of this article in the new October 2008 issue of CAR Magazine
And these supercar looks?
Our artist’s impressions were compiled with the help of Arash Farboud himself, so they give a pretty clear indication of what to expect when the final car is finished in autumn 2008.
The AF-10 almost mirrors the dimension of an Enzo, while the jutting nose features a centrally mounted spoiler designed to channel over the car and onto the rear wing. AP Racing ceramic brakes haul the Arash down from speed.
Inside, once the gullwing doors have been opened, you’ll find a simple leather-lined cockpit and extruded aluminium pedals inspired by Farboud’s own Porsche Carrera GT.
Any secret details about the future of the AF-10?
Farboud isn’t getting carried away and while lots of ideas are under consideration, none will get the green light until orders are coming in and cars heading out to customers. In just over 12 months, GM will start selling the Corvette ZR1’s 6.2-litre supercharged V8 to customers, so that’s 638bhp and 585lb ft…
Fine, fine, but what about the actual production then?
Farboud’s current south Cambridgeshire base can assemble 12-20 cars per year, with all the parts production outsourced. That’s about the limit of Farboud’s expectations for AF-10, but he also has the smaller AF-8 in the pipeline.
Still a few years away, but already revealed by CAR Online, the AF-8 will be based on the same chassis as the AF-10. But power will only ever come from the 7.0-litre Z06 unit, the doors will be regular items and the bodywork will shrink to make the AF-8 more practical.
Land has been set aside for a bespoke HQ, but that won’t happen until orders come in for AF-8, and that car itself is still a few years away yet. With prices expected at £130-150k, the smaller Arash car will face a tough market of Gallardos and F430s.
Would you consider one of these ahead of an Italian exotic? Click ‘Add your comment’ and let us know
Read a full version of this article in the new October 2008 issue of CAR Magazine