A few months ago we brought you a story on crazy looking hypercar from little-known New Zealand manufacturer, Rodin. Read our original story at this link. Now the same Kiwi outfit brings us the Rodin FZED. “This is a totally new offer to the high-performance car market. Currently you cannot buy a car like this anywhere in the world at any price,” according to the Rodin press blurb.
F1 performance
Rodin says the FZED is a track car with the performance to rival modern-era F1 GP machines. To achieve this level of performance the Rodin FZED is powered by a Cosworth GPV8. The motor is based on a unit used in the Indy Racing League (IRL). Power is rated at 500 kW produced at 9 600 r/min with peak torque of 490 N.m at 7 600. The engine is mated with a six-speed sequential gearbox from Ricardo. The car weighs just 609 kg, excluding driver. Rodin FZED has been engineered for longevity and durability, with the engine designed to run more than 5 000 km on 98-octane pump fuel.
Rodin says the FZED can accelerate to 160 km/h (100 mph) in just 5,0 seconds and boasts a top speed of 300 km/h. The company says the racer has the ability to lap at very close to Formula 1 times. In part the times will be achieved by generating downforce from a floor that features an Indy Car-style tunnel, rather than the flat floors used in Formula One. The Rodin FZED uses 13-inch diameter magnesium wheels from OZ Racing shod with tyres from specialist motorsport supplier Avon.
In his own words
“The Rodin FZED is a far more practical and durable proposition compared with buying and running an historic Grand Prix car. People do buy them, I had one, but they are more difficult to run and less durable, plus there’s the risk of crashing a car with an important Grand Prix heritage. Some are getting too expensive to risk on a race track, or parts are no longer affordable, or even available,” said company founder David Dicker.
“The beauty of the Rodin FZED is that you get the Grand Prix experience: the speed, the power, the downforce and cornering grip, in a package that has been designed for easy access and reliable performance. The body uses composite materials and a suspension system very similar to modern Grand Prix cars, and the aerodynamic package is also very contemporary. It looks like a Grand Prix car and it goes like a Grand Prix car, but it has none of the complications associated with running an old Grand Prix racer”
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