The Unknown - This supercars is known developed first by a British auto manufacturer GT Developments in the 1990s and might be included one is rarely recognized to the public. The mentioned car was the Spectre R42 prototype which has has a design resemblance to the legendary Ford GT40 racing car in several parts of its body.
The Spectre R42 is designed by Ray Christopher who poured his design in the 1990s vision inspired by the legendary Ford GT40 racing car. (Picture from: Carswitch)
Why is that, because this car was designed by Ray Christopher who poured his design in the 1990s vision inspired by the GT40. Before he began to dream up his own design in 1991 and planned to be able to sell the cars in October 1993, the auto company he co-founded having built 300-unique re-creation cars.
Ray Christopher (on right) pulls the covers off the first alloy-bodied GTD R42 prototype. (Picture from: Classicandsportscar)
Besides taking design inspiration from the GT40, it turns out that this car is also powered by a mid-mounted Ford V8 engine featured with a transaxle gearbox. And the underpinnings took the concept of the GT40 monocoque and updates it with an innovative folding aluminum and honeycomb composite construction.
The Spectre R42 is powered by a mid-mounted Ford V8 engine featured with a transaxle gearbox. (Picture from: Classicandsportscar)
As for the name of the car, the 'R42,' where the letter of 'R,' as you might have guessed, is borrowed from 'Ray,' the designer's first name while the number of '42' refers to the height of the vehicle from the ground to the roof.
The Spectre R42 sat on display at the RPM tittled movie premiere back in 1997. (Picture from: GTPLanet)
As qouted of the Classic&SportsCar, at the beginning, the designer had big ambitions to be used its creation to race at the Le Sarthe circuit and see it going down the Mulsanne Straight. But then of course, before such goal could be achieved, he had to make a road car. This car is also claimed by the designer to have the best drag coefficient (Cd) in its class of just 0.28.
After the R42's scale model and prototype chassis were ready by the end of 1992, soon its body work began with the aim of the car could be launching at the 1993 London Motor Show. Although the car construction work was successfully completed, due to unfavorable economic conditions plus the high development costs very unfavorable for the GTD's financial condition at the time, so pushed it into receivership in 1994 after only one R42 prototype ever made.
Oddly mounted wheel doesn’t solve the R42’s lack of space, but the
powered rack addresses the main criticism of the unassisted prototype. (Picture from: DriveTribe)
Although the company could be survived, but it should be paid by high-cost, as GTD had to sell the R42's rights for $2.5 million to an American company, Spectre Motors Inc. which led by a former GTD sales agent, Anders Hildebrand. He put the R42 into production line quickly, brought in investors and involved Derek Bell as chairman and development consultant under new company named Spectre Supersports Ltd. then launching the ALCO-Spectre racing program by using the later Spectre R42 GTR.
The Spectre R42's underpinnings took the concept of the GT40 monocoque and updates it with an innovative folding aluminum and honeycomb composite construction. (Picture from: TopWorldAuto)
Initially, the manufacturer had planned will make 200 units of the R42 in 3 years. In reality, the company was only able to make 23 units in 3 years, mainly down to the fact that every car needed 2,000 man hours to be completed. Even to support marketing, in 1997 there were two R42s taking roles in an action movie titled 'RPM.' Unfortunately the movie wasn’t very well received which means the car didn’t get the break that was being hoped for.
Again, the manufacturer experienced serious financial problems, so all production plan had set previously up to the R42 racing program at the 24 Hours of Le Mans were hampered and canceled due to lack of funds.😥
And finally in 1998, the R42 left us for good, never to be the modern GT40 as its designer envisioned and following two Ford concept cars that were initially projected as the GT40's successors, such as the GT70 and GT90 which already had entered the museum without ever being produced.😞 And now, if you want to see the Spectre R42 speeding down the streets, so you can watch it in the mentioned above movie. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DRIVETRIBE | CLASSIC&SPORTSCAR | CARSWITCH | WIKIPEDIA | GTPLANET | TOPWORLDAUTO ]
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Why is that, because this car was designed by Ray Christopher who poured his design in the 1990s vision inspired by the GT40. Before he began to dream up his own design in 1991 and planned to be able to sell the cars in October 1993, the auto company he co-founded having built 300-unique re-creation cars.
Again, the manufacturer experienced serious financial problems, so all production plan had set previously up to the R42 racing program at the 24 Hours of Le Mans were hampered and canceled due to lack of funds.😥
