Hellcat leaps into action
New 700bhp British sports car to go into production
Priced to fight it out with Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin et al, the £100,000 (approx) Melling Hellcat is due to go into production – at a rate of four a week – this November in a factory in Rochdale.
The brainchild and passion of Al Melling (perhaps best known for the AJP engines he created for TVR), the Hellcat’s bodyshell is a carbonfibre monocoque, and as well as a road-going car there will also be a racing version to compete in GT1.
Powered by an engine of Melling’s own design, its 5990cc V10 is dry-sumped and produces 713bhp at 7200rpm and 604lb ft at 5700rpm in road guise, dropping to 618bhp and 544lb ft in restricted motorsport set-up.
No performance figures have been announced yet, but with a roadgoing kerb weight of 1220kg (falling to 1106kg for the race version) it ought to be swift.
