Ginetta’s new mid-mounted, V6-powered G60 could be described as the spiritual successor to the Lotus Esprit. It’s loud, brash and puts an instant smile on your face as Steve Sutcliffe finds out.
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NIGEL FARMER GETS 4 WINS IN A ROW AND PODIUM FINISH IN GT4
December 5th, 2011 
dave787
29 NOV 2011
China based Track Torque Racing proved at the Macau Grand Prix that history does repeat itself. Following on from last year and Matt Perry’s win in the inaugural GT4 race, it was Nigel Farmer who took the GT4 honors at this year’s event.
?
The Macau GP was the last event of the 2011 Asia GT4 series with Nigel and the Track Torque team winning the last 4 races of the season and taking third overall in the championship. This year the Asia GT4 championship raced in Sepang Malaysia; Fuji, Suzuka, Autopolis in Japan and the last race was the Macau Grand Prix.
The GT4 class runs in the GT cup race and the Macau circuit proved why it is one of the biggest challenges in motor racing with a huge accident at Mandarin the fastest corner of the circuit. Although 5 cars were badly damaged the drivers were thankfully ok.
Track Torque’s next race is in January where they will be competing a Ginetta G50 in the Dubai 24hr and in the meantime they will be looking after their race school based at the Zhuhai Circuit in China (nr Hong Kong) running Ginetta G20’s along with various superbikes.
You can see more details at www.tracktorque.com
AUSTRALIAN GT GINETTA CHALLENGE
December 5th, 2011 dave787
28 NOV 2011
?Ginetta Cars proudly announce the Ginetta Challenge in AustraliaThe Ginetta Challenge will run within the Australian GT Championship in the new Sports Car class.
In 2012 the Australian GT Championship starts a new class for GT4 based cars that will see Ginetta, Lotus, BMW and others compete for the Sportscar Class honours.
WRS Sports Cars are offering the most successful Ginetta driver in AGT Sports Cars the prize of a factory entry in the Ginetta Super Cup in the UK at a round of the British Touring Car Championship.
Ginetta has supported the BTCC for a number of years with the G50 Cup and the G40 Junior Challenge Class (for 14 to 17 year olds) this year saw the release of the G55 and the formation of the new Super Cup with G50and G55 classes.
‘So how does it work?’
WRS Sportscars have 6 x Used Ginetta G50 Cup Cars available for purchase to run in the Australian GT Championship Sports Car Class.These Cars have been made available to WRS Sports Cars at the fantastic price of $68,000 inclusive of all shipping, duties and taxes including GST.
These cars are Ginetta owned and are receiving thorough mechanical preparation before shipping. New cars are also available if desired. With the Ginetta G50 being an extremely cost effective race car it is intended to keep the race meeting costs as low as possible.
Full preparation, transport and meeting support for arrive and drive owners based on 6 cars will be $16,000 per round. The only extras will be tyres and fuel, which will depend on the race format, 2 x 1hr or 2 x 40minsThe Australian GT Championship is run over seven rounds with three events on the V8 Supercar Calender and the remainder comprising of longer races at Shannons National Meetings.
The season starts at the Clipsal 500 meeting on the streets of Adelaide with a 1 hr into twilight evening race and a 30 minute race on the SundayBeing a part of a Championship such as the Australian GT allows the driver experience and exposure unmatched at anywhere near these costs.
2012 Australian GT Championship Calender
1/ Mar 1 – 4 Adelaide V8 Supercar – Clipsal 500 1 x 1hr & 1 x 30min
2/ May 25 – 27 Phillip Island Shannon’s Nationals 2 x 1hr
3/ Jun 22 – 2 Winton Shannon’s Nationals 2 x 1hr
4/ Jul 13 – 15 Eastern Creek Shannon’s Nationals 2 x 1hr
5/ Sep 21 – 23 Phillip Island Shannon’s Nationals 2 x 1hr
6/ Oct 19 – 21 Surfers Paradise V8 Supercar – Gold Coast 600 2 x
40 mins
7/ Nov 30 – Dec 2 Homebush V8 Supercar – Sydney 500 2 x 40 mins
The series is also canvassing the possibility of a non – championship round in New Zealand
Key features of the G50
Extremely strong roll cage and chassis
Full Aero Package – all tune able
6 speed Sequential Gearbox
Front mid mount Engine
Adjustable suspension
Brake bias – adjustable / no ABS
FIA – Rollcage, Seat & Belts, On board Fire Extinguisher
Motec M800 ECU
Proven reliable cost effective package.
For more information on the Championship, cars and costs involved please email WRS Sports Cars atginetta@williamsraceservices.com
BARWELL PLACE GINETTA ON POLE
December 5th, 2011 dave787 21 NOV 2011
The collaboration between Ginetta and Barwell saw the Ginetta G55 GT3 development car command pole position with a strong performance at the weekend’s Britcar 3-Hour into the night race.
Barwell, returning for their normal end of season entry to the Britcar ranks, set the pace during the qualifying session with Mark Lemmer and Ben de Zille Butler sharing the car with Tom Kimber-Smith.
The Ginetta G55 GT3 competed at the event using the existing the Ford 3.7ltr V6 engine producing 400bhp, coupled with new 2012 aerodynamic aero configurations. Throughout free practice the G55 GT3 was setting the pace and pole position was finally settled after a frantic final ten minutes as the Brands Hatch Indy circuit continued to dry after starting greasy after overnight rain. With the circuit drying, times tumbled and several different teams and drivers experienced a temporary and greasy hold on pole. Kimber-Smith timed his run to perfection in the dying minutes of the session taking the pole by over half a second
The race unfortunately did not follow in the same vain, with the drama unfolding on the warming up lap, a driveshaft failure saw the Ginetta pull off during the green flag lap. After a lightening drive shaft change taking less than 30 minutes Lemmer/Butler/Kimber-Smith re-joined the field 29 laps behind the leader, after 2 hours the team managed to pull the deficit back to just 26 laps. With an overall finishing position of 9th.
Mike Simpson Head of Sales at Ginetta said “after a stunning qualifying, we suffered the fate of lady luck and naturally we were all disappointed by this, yet also uplifted by the performance in qualifying and pulling back 3 laps in 2 hours of racing. Once we combine the new 2012 aerodynamic aero configurations with the new 4.35 racing V8 engine delivering 540bhp, there will be no stopping us”
GINETTA G60 FIRST DRIVE – TOPGEAR.COM
December 5th, 2011 dave787 19 OCT 2011
Piers Ward – TopGear.
“If you were one of those blokes who mourned the passing of TVR, the launch of the Ginetta G60 is probably the best news you got since 2006. It might not have the brash looks of TVR, but it’s certainly got the same total disregard for safety systems. There’s no ABS, electronic brake distribution, traction control, brake servo, power steering – this is as raw as a new car gets.
The G60 is powered by a Ford-sourced 3.7-litre V6, which has got 310bhp and 288lb ft. Not outrageous figures, but because the carbon-bodied G60 only weighs 1080kg, acceleration is impressive with a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds.
You’ll find the noise more addictive than the speed though – the V6 is naturally aspirated, so there are no turbos killing the frankly outrageous noise. It sounds more like a V8, mixed with a hint of a hard-edged racing car.
Great stuff.
What’s not quite as impressive about this G60 are the steering and brakes. Unassisted systems might appeal to the purist, but because everything is so heavy, you end up putting in so much effort to either brake or steer the G60 that it dials out the entire feel. These controls need to be more delicate.
The good news is that this should all be fixed by the time the production car comes around in March 2012. The steering and brakes are relatively easy engineering fixes and the G40, the G60′s baby brother, does both with a lot more finesse.
What comes as a surprise on the Ginetta is the control panel on the dash. This works everything from the climate control to the radio to the sat nav, and it’s clear and easy to use. No cheap after-market unit here.
Which is just as well, given that the G60 will cost £68,000. That’s Porsche 911 territory, and there’s not much chance that the Ginetta will tempt people out of the German offering. But then TVR buyers were never 911 buyers. The Ginetta offers up a hairy, modern alternative, without any of the modern safety kit.”
GINETTA G60 REVIEW – WHATCAR?
December 5th, 2011 dave787
19 OCT 2011
“What is it? The Ginetta G60 is the second road-going sportscar to come from the car maker that’s more commonly associated with building racing cars.
Compared with its hardcore sibling, the G40R, the G60 is much more comfortable and practical on an everyday basis.
The G60 is an evolution of the Farbio F400, which was acquired by Ginetta when it purchased the company in early 2010.
Moving on from the F400, the G60 gets a new 3.7-litre engine, a carbonfibre body and a redesigned suspension rack.
What’s it like to drive? There’s nothing in the way of driver aids, such as power steering, ABS or traction control, but the G60 is a surprisingly forgiving car.
The final production car should also bring improvements to the heavy steering – although it will probably remain unassisted – along with tweaks to the heavy brake pedal.
On the road, performance arrives progressively and smoothly, with the 0-62mph dash achieved in under 5.0sec.
What’s it like inside? The first of the production models reveals a simple, but smart fascia. Carbonfibre plays a big part, as does a neat Alcantara-style material that covers the steering wheel and dashboard.
A large touch-screen gives access to all of the in-car systems, which include sat-nav, Bluetooth and air-conditioning as standard.
The production car should have more space around the pedals which, given the shortage of space in the test car we drove, will be a welcome addition. It’s easy to get comfortable in the driver’s seat, with good visibility, and plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment.
Should I buy one? With just 50 cars due to be made annually, resale values should remain strong, and the small size of the British company means you should enjoy an intimate relationship with the people that built it come servicing time.
If you take the Ginetta G60 for what it is – a bespoke, fantastic-looking sportscar, then it shouldn’t disappoint – there’s even room for a couple of golf bags in the boot. “
Rivals
Lotus Evora
Porsche 911
What Car? says
3 Stars
