Connaught Type-D GT Syracuse
Low-volume British sports cars have plastic bodywork and lacklustre engines borrowed from a mainstream manufacturer, right?
A Porsche-sized price tag may sound rather excessive for a machine which has been built by a little-known British firm, but the Connaught Type-D GT boasts a unique V10 engine that promises blistering performance. If the quality on the hand-built Con-naught is up to scratch, the adventurous people who take the plunge will get a rare and unusual coup
Low-volume British sports cars have plastic bodywork and lacklustre engines borrowed from a mainstream manufacturer, right? Not according to Connaught. The firm, based in Daventry, Northants, has taken the wraps off the Type-D GT Syracuse - and the newcomer's supercharged 2.0-litre V10 engine and aluminium panels mark it out as a star in the making.
The 300bhp limited edition heralds the return of the Connaught name to UK roads, and Auto Express has the first official pictures. In the metal, the plucky Brit looks more impressive than pretty. Big headlights and numerous vents give it a brutish appearance, while bulging rear flanks and flared wheel-arches guarantee an aggressive stance.
Even so, neat details include mesh-covered indicator repeaters disguised as air vents, plus pop-out door handles. The rear bumper bears a bold Connaught inscription, and twin exhausts continue the butch theme. There's no rear wing; the GT relies on a flat undertray for stab-ility at its claimed 171mph top speed.
With a front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive, the coup
