The Nichols N1A was designed and built by Steve Nichols, the man who designed the legendary McLaren MP4/4.
When you have previously designed the McLaren MP4/4, then what you have to say in the future will always remain relevant.
And as perhaps a tribute to that McLaren MP4/4, the original Chief Designer, Steve Nichols, has now put his hand towards the Nichols Cars N1A made to be driven on the road.
The Nichols Cars N1A looks rather timeless; it looks like a racing car that could be eye-catching race-candy now, yet equally perfect in museum conditions.
Something that you might expect for a car which is, in fact, designed to be a homage to the famous 1963 M1A – a period when the modern racing automobile began to take on the smooth lines and shapes that we are now most familiar with.
Nichols says that he was simply looking for a project that would keep him amused in his ‘old age’ by taking a fresh look at the M1A.
The result is a period-friendly look to a race car that remains perfectly modern underneath its beautiful exterior design.
The N1A features a carbon bonded and extruded aluminium chassis along with load-bearing carbon fibre sheeting on each side of the cockpit.
Independent wishbone suspension is featured all round, and traction control and custom conrods and pistons have been included. Switchable ABS and speed sensitive power steering are some of the tasty options.
Nichols says that he spent hours using a wind tunnel to make sure the car’s aerodynamics were perfectly matched to the design, making use of modern technology to create a the best possible car that he could.
But it’s the engine and power that will probably excite most.
The Nichols Cars N1A weighs in at 900kg and can achieve up to 650bhp thanks to a 7-litre V8 engine which has been put together by Langford Performance Engineering. As power to weight ratios go, this car is impressive.
There are three engine options: firstly, we have the 460bhp Chevrolet LT1, the second features a 520bhp unit upgraded with trumpets and throttle bodies, while option three offers the all-singing 7-litre 650bhp unit.
The N1A arrives with a rear-wheel drive and a 6-speed manual transmission as standard, with a Senna-inspired gear knob.
The original McLaren MP4/4 won 15 out of 16 Grand Prix races whilst being driven by Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in 1988, and the first 15 N1A models will each be numbered to celebrate an individual Grand Prix race.
The Nichols Cars N1A will be limited to 100 models, each allowing a huge range of personalisation for each owner. Any colour for the exterior is possible, and user personalisation is limited ‘only by the imagination’, Nichols says.
We don’t yet know what the final cost for the N1A is likely to be – especially as it can be so infinitely customisable, but I think we can suspect that such a limited-edition car is going to a little hefty.
Images: nichols-cars.com
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