Bristol builds 1012bhp Fighter T sports car

The Bugatti Veyron is the world’s only 1000+bhp sports car, right?

9 November 2006 0:10 GMT / By Jonathan Goddard

The Bugatti Veyron is the world’s only 1000+bhp sports car, right? Not any more it isn’t after venerable British carmaker Bristol announced that its new Fighter T is capable of churning out a quite staggering 1012bhp.

It’s rare to see any Bristol cars these days, unless you happen to drive past their one and only showroom in Kensington. But they have been quietly producing tiny numbers of rather odd and hugely expensive hand-built motoring oddities since the 1940s.

And with a whimper it has announced what amounts to be the world's most powerful production road car. Ever.

The Fighter T joins the standard Fighter and the S variant, and it delivers its immense lump of power at 5600rpm thanks to a twin turbo intercooled 8-litre V10 engine. And that means you get a 0-60mph time of 3.5 seconds and (get this) electronically limited (!) top speed of 225mph. Without the limiter, Bristol assures us the Fighter T would be capable of 270mph. Oh, and it can do 60mph in first gear.

A slight remodelling of the tail reduces drag (and with any luck stops the T taking off), while weight is kept down with a variety of lightweight components. You get smart 19in alloys, too.

This lump of craziness will be available in September 2007. Pricing has not been confirmed, but you can bet it will be cheaper than a Veyron. Probably not quite as reliable, though, and certainly nowhere near as pretty. Then again, the Veyron isn’t built by seven old codgers in a shed.