IFR Aspid Supersport

The IFR Aspid’s mad looks turned heads at the British International Motor Show back in the summer. And having driven it we can tell you it’s just as crazy from behind the wheel!

How crazy? Well at just 2.8 seconds it’s faster to 62mph than a Ferrari Enzo. But with a wheelbase shorter than a Lotus Elise and a chassis honed by a team of ex-rally engineers it’s got cornering ability that’ll better a tarmac-spec WRC car on twisty mountain roads.

Following in the wheel tracks of the Rally Catalunya near to IFR's Spannish base, Auto Express got the chance to do just that. With corners coming thick and fast and straights of barely a few hundred metres, the Aspid is in its element. Acceleration is brutal and so is braking, via a patented double-disc system on the front wheels. But direction changes are something else, the relatively soft suspension gobbling up cambers, bumps and weight shifts with impunity, the Aspid holding its line no matter how hard you provoke it.

You need a strong stomach to cope with handling this savage but the rush of excitement is your reward. On twisty roads nothing can come close.

The brainchild of Spanish engineering consultancy IFR Automotive, the Aspid packs an astounding array of technology. Built around an aluminium space frame chassis the Aspid is super strong and stiff. And the open-wheeled look shows off weight saving technology slashing unsprung weight – namely wheels, suspension and brakes – to half of that of conventional roadgoing sports cars.

Baffled by the technology? Don’t be – the simple version is that the Aspid is both incredibly strong and, at 740kg, lighter than a Lotus Elise. Power comes from a 2-litre Honda S2000 engine, supercharged in this Supersport version to give an astonishing 395bhp at a redline of 9000rpm.

And although it’s fast enough to see off even ultra minimal trackday specials the Aspid doesn’t skimp on creature comforts – assuming of course you’re not put off by the rather cosy accommodation. At least you can remove the doors and roof panels if you’re feeling claustrophobic!

There are hardly any switches – everything is controlled by a fabulously intuitive touchscreen system developed in-house by IFR. Navigation, phone, MP3 music storage, air-con, driver-selectable parameters for steering assistance and throttle response, all are at your fingertips.

And it’s this combination of startling performance and surprising usability that makes the Aspid so unique. The build quality – even on this pre-production car – is stunning too, with beautifully machined aluminium components nestling within perfectly finished exposed carbon fibre.

So it should be, given a price tag expected to be not far short of £100,000 when the first cars go on sale next summer. Given the technology it’s well worth it.