Ginetta G40

Last updated

Ginetta G40
Ginetta G40 Piranha Motorsport.jpg
Piranha Motorsport's Ginetta G40 at Britcar 24 Hours 2011.
Overview
Manufacturer Ginetta Cars
Production2010present
Assembly Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Body style 2-door coupé
Layout Front-engine, rear wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine 2.0 L Mazda MZR I4 (road version)
1.8 L Ford Zetec I4 (race version)
Transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,250 mm (88.6 in) [1]
Length3,748 mm (147.6 in)
Width1,642 mm (64.6 in)
Height1,045 mm (41.1 in)
Kerb weight 795 kg (1,753 lb) (road version)
800–850 kg (1,764–1,874 lb) (race version)
Chronology
Predecessor Ginetta G50 (road version)
Ginetta G20 (race version)

The Ginetta G40 is a sports car which has been built by Ginetta Cars since 2010. It is available in two versions; a road-going version, named the G40R, and the race version, the G40, which is available in two specifications; one of which is the G40 Challenge, the other is the G40 Junior, which were designed for the Ginetta GT5 Challenge and the Ginetta Junior Championship respectively. The G40 replaced the Ginetta G20 race car, and also replaced the road version of the Ginetta G50.

Contents

Race versions

The Ginetta G40 Challenge was introduced in 2010, supplementing the Ginetta G20 in the one-make Ginetta GT5 Challenge. At launch, the car used a 1.8-litre Ford Zetec-based inline-four engine, generating a power output of 140 hp (104 kW; 142 PS), and using a 5-speed gearbox, with the car weighing 850 kg (1,874 lb). [2] The car was available in 2010 for £24,950, plus VAT, and featured 280mm discs all round. [2] The engine in the most recent versions generate 165 hp (123 kW; 167 PS), and weigh 800 kg (1,764 lb), using 6-speed Quaife sequential gearboxes. [3] It received Autosport's National Car of the Year Award for 2010, two years after the G50 had received the same award. [3]

In addition to the Ginetta Junior Championship, the G40 has been entered in the Britcar series. In the latter series, it won its class at the Britcar 24 Hours, held at the Silverstone Circuit on its debut in 2010, and finished 12th overall, driven by the works Team LNT team's drivers Lawrence Tomlinson, Mike Simpson, Steve Linn and Nigel Moore, also proving to be the fastest Ginetta, as it finished one place ahead of a GT4-class Ginetta G50. [4] At the 2011 edition of the race, the top G40 finished 26th overall, and fourth in class; this time entered by Rollcentre Racing, and driven by Richard Skyes, Jake Rattenbury, Brian Saunders and Mark Davies. [5] In 2012, a G40 once again finished 12th overall, and fourth in class; this time, driven by Piranha Motorsport's Simon Mason, Rory Bryant, Ryan Ratcliffe and Chris Bialan. [6]

Ginetta also built a less powerful variant of the G40, named the G40 Junior. This utilizes a restricted 100 hp (75 kW; 101 PS) version of the 1.8-litre Zetec engine, to comply with MSA regulations, and was used in the Ginetta Junior Championship (replacing the G20), a series for 14 to 17-year old drivers that is part of the British Touring Car Championship's support package. Initially run on Michelin Pilot Cup tyres, which were treaded, [7] the series moved to slick tyres for 2012, [8] only to revert to treaded tyres for 2013. [9]

Road version

Ginetta G40 road car Ginetta G40.jpg
Ginetta G40 road car
Ginetta G40 road car rear Ginetta G40 - Flickr - exfordy.jpg
Ginetta G40 road car rear

In 2010, Ginetta decided to cancel plans to produce a road-going version of the bigger Ginetta G50, and instead built a road-going variant of the G40, named the G40R. [10] The race car's 1.8-litre Zetec engine was replaced with a modified 2.0-litre Mazda MZR engine, generating a power output of 175 hp (130 kW; 177 PS) at 7,000rpm and the 6-speed manual gearbox shared with the Mazda MX5; [11] however, the road car also includes the full race-spec rollcage. [12] This configuration enables the car to accelerate from a standing start to 97km/h in 5.8 seconds and attain a claimed top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph), [13] the performance figures aided by its low weight of 795 kg (1,753 lb). [14] Ginetta claim a fuel economy figure of 29 mpg, and carbon dioxide emissions of 181g/km. [15] Prices started at £29,950. [13] Autocar gave the car a rating of 4 out of 5; praising the car's engine note and driving feel, but criticizing it for inconsistent steering weight and for an unfinished cabin. [16] What Car? gave the car a rating of 3 out of 5, [17] praising its performance and handling, [18] but criticizing its lack of safety features, its poor refinement, and its lack of equipment. [17] The Telegraph gave the car 4 out of 5 stars, praising its driving feel, but criticizing the body's finish. [19] Auto Express gave the car 3 out of 5, praising its on-track behaviour, but stating that it wasn't really suited to everyday usage. [20] Ginetta planned to sell 100 cars annually. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

Caterham Cars is a British manufacturer of specialist lightweight sports cars established in Caterham, England, with their headquarters in Dartford, England. Their current model, the Caterham 7, originally launched in 1973, is a direct evolution of the Series 3 Lotus Seven designed by Colin Chapman. In the 1990s the company made the Caterham 21, a two-seater soft top alternative to the MGF and Lotus Elise,. A track-only car, the SP/300.R, a joint project with Lola was released for customer testing in 2010 and was scheduled for release in 2013. On 27 April 2011, Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes announced that he had purchased Caterham. On 2 April 2021, news was leaked that Caterham Cars had been acquired outright on 31 March 2021 by VT Holdings, Japanese importer for the Caterham Seven since 2009. As well as being a Caterham importer, VT also imports Lotus cars and Royal Enfield motorcycles into Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Polo</span> Motor vehicle

The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Exige</span> Car model

The Lotus Exige is a British two-door, two-seat sports car made by Lotus Cars since 2000. Originally a more-hardcore coupé version of the Lotus Elise roadster, since the Series 3 the Exige has been the larger-engined model of the family - using a V6 engine in place of the Elise's straight-four with convertible versions of both available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginetta Cars</span> British automobile manufacturer

Ginetta Cars Limited is a British specialist builder of racing and sports cars based in Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peugeot 207</span> Motor vehicle

The Peugeot 207 is a supermini car (B) that was designed and produced by the French automaker Peugeot from 2006 to 2014. It was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006, and entered production in April 2006, as the successor to the Peugeot 206. It shares the same platform with the Citroën C3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 911 GT3</span> Porsche sports car

The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance homologation model of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is a line of high-performance models, which began with the 1973 911 Carrera RS. The GT3 has had a successful racing career in the one-make national and regional Porsche Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge series, as well as the international Porsche Supercup supporting the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfa Romeo Giulietta (2010)</span> Italian compact hatchback

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is a small family car (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by Alfa Romeo as a 5-door hatchback. Production started near the end of 2009 and the model was introduced at the March 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The Giulietta placed second in the 2011 European Car of the Year awards. Between 2010 and 2019, production reached over 400,000. In 2020, Alfa Romeo announced that they were going to axe the Giulietta and production ended on 22 December 2020 spanning 10 years of sales from a period of 2010 to 2020. In total 469,067 examples were produced until 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTM X-Bow</span> Motor vehicle

The KTM X-Bow is an ultra-light sports car manufactured by Austrian automotive manufacturer KTM. A company known for their production of motorcycles, the X-Bow was the first mass-produced car in their product range and was unveiled and launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008. The X-Bow road car was developed in collaboration with KISKA, Audi, and Dallara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Evora</span> Sports car by British car firm Lotus

The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus. The car, which was developed under the project name Project Eagle, was launched on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show. The Evora S was launched in 2010 with a supercharged 3.5-litre V6. A facelifted and more powerful Evora 400 model was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, followed by another more powerful variant, the Evora GT430, which was unveiled in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MG6 (automobile)</span> Motor vehicle

The MG6 is a compact car which has been produced by Chinese manufacturer SAIC Motor under the MG marque since 2010. It is slotted slightly above the compact sedan MG GT, and the compact hatchback MG 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginetta GT4 Supercup</span>

The Ginetta GT4 Supercup is a one-make racing, Sports car racing series based in the United Kingdom, using identical Ginetta G50 and G55 sports cars. The championship supported the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) until the end of the 2022 season, then became a class in the British Endurance Championship run by Britcar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginetta Junior Championship</span> British automobile racing series

The Ginetta Junior Championship is a one-make racing series based in the United Kingdom. From the 2010 season teams use the Ginetta G40, having previously used the Ginetta G20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MG5 (automobile)</span> Motor vehicle

The MG5 is a series of compact cars that has been produced by SAIC Motor under the MG marque since 2012. The first generation MG 5 was launched on 28 March 2012 in China, and shares the same automotive platform as the Roewe 350 saloon car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginetta G50</span> Motor vehicle

The Ginetta G50 is a specialist GT4 class-developed racing car, designed by Ginetta Cars. A road version of the car was planned, but did not enter wide-scale production; instead, the smaller Ginetta G40 was launched.

The Ginetta GT5 Challenge, currently known as the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge for sponsorship reasons is a one-make racing series based in the United Kingdom. The series uses the Ginetta G40 and Ginetta G20 race cars and thus has a two class system. The cars use a sealed Ford Zetec 1.8-litre engine and tubular steel chassis, full integral FIA approved roll cage and fibre- glass shell which ensures safe, controlled racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Golf Mk7</span> Motor vehicle

The Volkswagen Golf (Mk7) is a small family car (C-segment) produced by German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen as the seventh generation of the Golf and the successor to the Golf Mk6. It was introduced in Berlin on 4 September 2012, before a public launch at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Sales in Europe began with the model in November 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginetta G55</span> Motor vehicle

The Ginetta G55 is a specialist sports car, which has been built by Ginetta Cars since 2011. It is built to the FIA GT3 regulations, and the cars are raced in a one-make series; the Ginetta GT Supercup. In addition to this, they are also used in the GT3 class of competitions such as the British GT Championship. It was an evolutionary update of the Ginetta G50, which is a GT4-class car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 911</span> Sports car produced by Porsche

The Porsche 911 is a two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a rear-mounted flat-six engine and originally a torsion bar suspension. The car has been continuously enhanced through the years but the basic concept has remained unchanged. The engines were air-cooled until the introduction of the 996 series in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche Boxster/Cayman</span> Motor vehicle

The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater roadster (Boxster) and a three-door, two-seater fastback coupé (Cayman).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin Vantage (2018)</span> Motor vehicle

The Aston Martin Vantage is a two-seater sports car built by British manufacturer Aston Martin since 2018. It replaces the previous model which had been in production for 12 years.

References

  1. "2011 Ginetta G40R". Carfolio.com. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Ginetta G40 review". Evo. March 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Cars – G40". Ginetta Cars. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  4. "2010 Britcar 24 Hour" (PDF). British Racing and Sports Car Club. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. "2011 Britcar 24 Hour" (PDF). British Racing and Sports Car Club. 2 October 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  6. "2012 Britcar 24 Hour" (PDF). British Racing and Sports Car Club. 23 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  7. "The Ginetta G40 Junior Car" (PDF). Ginetta Cars. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  8. "Ginetta to Boost Junior Motorsport Career Ladder, Rookie Style!". Ginetta Cars. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  9. "Ginetta Slash 2013 Season Costs by Switching to Road Tyres". Ginetta Cars. 12 September 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  10. "Ginetta G50 replaced by G40". Autocar . Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  11. "Ginetta G40 review – performance and engineering". Autocar. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  12. "Ginetta – G40R Road Car". Ginetta Cars. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Ginetta G40 review – specs". Autocar. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  14. "Track Tested: Ginetta G40 R". SkiddMark . Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  15. "Ginetta G40 review – mpg". Autocar. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  16. "Ginetta G40 review – verdict". Autocar. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  17. 1 2 "Ginetta G40 Coupe Review". What Car?. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  18. "Full review of Ginetta G40 Coupe". What Car?. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  19. English, Andrew (23 August 2011). "Ginetta G40R review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  20. Madden, Luke (24 August 2012). "Ginetta G40R". Auto Express . Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  21. "Ginetta launches G40 'race car for the road'". Michelin UK Motorsport. Retrieved 16 May 2013.