Veritas RSIII
Racing legend is back with V8-engined speedster.
Even though the RSIII costs more than £300,000, Veritas is adamant it will find buyers for the three a month it intends to make. It’s a lot for a car that uses a tuned BMW engine and does without a passenger seat, sound system, roof and ventilation. But owners will get a machine that draws admiring glances everywhere and provides a raw driving experience that’s engineered to thrill.
If heritage and stunning looks guaranteed success, Veritas would be on to a winner! Before it went bust, the German firm made hugely successful racing cars in the Fifties. It’s now back with the RSIII – a model that, at less than a metre high and more than five metres long, has cartoon-like proportions.
Under the bonnet is a 5.0-litre V8 from the previous-generation BMW M5. By the time production starts later this year, Veritas will be using the current car’s V10 – and when the revised RSIII is unveiled next month, it will have fresh bodywork, too.
The bonnet air scoop will be smaller and sleeker, the rear foglights incorporated into the LEDs and there will be an underbody aerodynamic diffuser and improved cooling.
The latter makes life easier for the driver – at the moment, they’re bathed in hot air from the engine. What’s more, there’s only a small aero screen in front, so a helmet – or, at the very least, sunglasses – is vital.
But you forget these niggles when you fire the engine. The twin tailpipes kick up, so they’re visible through the central rear view mirror, and the thunderous bellow under acceleration is simply sensational. So is the popping and banging when you lift off the throttle.
As well as the noise and wind rush, you get a raw, driver’s car feel. The brakes have no power assistance or ABS – but push the pedal hard and stopping power is devastating.
Equally, there’s no traction control, so you can spin the wheels all the way up to fifth gear. Yet despite an epic power-to-weight ratio of 430bhp per tonne, the RSIII doesn’t feel especially agile, due to its slow steering. And that central mirror makes accurate positioning through bends initially tricky.
However, for a car that corners with barely any body roll and attracts more attention than a fleet of Lamborghinis, this is a small price to pay.
Rival: SLR Stirling Moss
Oonly 75 of the single-seat Mercedes will be built, with an exposed cockpit, 650bhp 5.5-litre V8 and carbon fibre chassis. Each car carries a huge £660,000 price tag.
