09 July 2009 - 11:00
Mantide after ’Ring
Is the extraordinary Bertone Mantide out for the Nurburgring lap record?
Reports have reached us that the owner of the first Mantide, British gentleman racer Dan Watkins, is planning to take his £1.3 million supercar to the ’Ring with the aim of smashing the Corvette ZR1's production car record.
That record stands at 7 minutes 26.4 seconds, but on paper the Mantide should go quicker: it shares its underpinnings and 6.2-litre, 620bhp V8 with the ZR1, but is 100kg lighter, 25 per cent more slippery and generates 30 per cent more downforce. It'll manage the 0-60mph sprint in just 3.2 seconds, while the ZR1 takes a pedestrian 3.5 seconds.
We're told that Watkins is considering renting out the ’Ring for three days and hiring a Nordschliefe expert driver in order to secure the record.
If Baron Von Stiggington is busy, Mr Watkins, could we recommend the lovely Sabine Schmitz?
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You know what? It must be amazing to have money.
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It looks really weird... I'ld take that flowery bently over this!
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Could this beat the gumpert on the power lap board? bring it on
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That picture doesn't do it any justice. It is MUCH sexier in the flesh and that red doesn't help. The only thing i don't like about it (and I'm being very picky here) is the wheels. Weird centre bit, makes them look like push on fake alloys!
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Man that thing is cool !!!!!
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i dont think it will do the record but good luck anyway. oh and i just wanted to ask if anyone knows if the audi r8 did the lap on nurburgring. and if you know can you e mail me and tell me what time it did it in.. my e mail dsdeiv007@gmail.com thanks
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wow. good luck! i still think the mantide is ugly though
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A truly grotesque car. I'm going to have nightmares tonight after seeing that. Agghhh, my eyes , my eyes...
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Probably one of those cars you either love o hate. I personally think its awesome and because its British I want it to beat the American Corvette. Good Luck.
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That is a sexy car. Speaking of, I usually get irritated with the TG rehash videos at the end, but I find Sabine to be pretty sexy too.
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Re PetrolheadViper: British, is it? A Corvette underneath, Italian skin. What's British about it? Oh right, the owner. He won't beat Stefan Bellof though... : P
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It's good to see that money can't buy good taste. What an abomination.
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It's not a production car, so it just invalidates the record...
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Point taken Takk but I still want it to beat the Corvette cos its nicer looking.
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Can you really call that thing a production car though? OK so it has been "produced" for the open market not racing but how many have been sold? In theory you could produce a road legal racer designed just to beat the Ring record, and that would hardly be sporting, or a fair reflection of other cars.
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That may very well be a better car than the Corvette, but it is uglier than a Pit Bull.
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Sabine is gorgeous girl... very :D oh again? off-topic? yup, lol, sry :) Mantide, yet another masterpiece by the beauty-maker Bertone. Italian cars = the most beautiful things on earth... im seriously!
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It looks like a rocket. Hope it goes like one.
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Woo first comment. I saw this at goodwood, it sounds awesome:D
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the mantide cant be a production car
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i think its cool looking, but i hope it don't beat the zr1 i like that way more
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I saw this car up close at the Goodwood FoS. The noise it made! VERY cool looking car, I hope they put it round the TG track soon.
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Thought that the ZR1 time had been beaten by several other production spec cars including Radical SR8, Dodge Viper SRT, Maserati MC12, Pagani Zonda & Ferrari Enzo?
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horrific to look at
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Kill it. With fire. That is all.
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PetrolheadViper commented on this article
09 July 2009
Yay first comment. That is well nice. I want one badly.
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