Automakers are constantly at each other’s throats for their share of the marketplace, but there’s one thing they all love: sheets.
As we approach the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, carmakers from around the globe will continue to institute teaser campaigns, where new vehicles are showcased bit by bit underneath a veil of secrecy.
We saw it this week with the new Audi R8, and Spanish manufacturer Spania GTA is using the same strategy to preview the 2015 Spano supercar.
While we can see that the rear fascia has been significantly updated with new contours, lighting, and exhaust piping, that’s about all we can see. So let’s move on to the stuff that makes it go.
The old car, which played a role in the 2014 Need For Speed film, was powered by an 8.4-liter, Viper-sourced supercharged V10 with an output of 900 horsepower. The new car, however, is fitted with Spano’s own 8.0-liter V10 with two turbos bolted on. The result is a hair-raising 925 hp and 900 pound-feet of torque, which means 0 to 62 mph comes in just 2.9 seconds. The vehicle also has a top speed of over 230 mph.
Those exceptional specifications are partly due to the Spano’s lightweight structure. According to the Spanish automaker, the chassis and bodywork are made up of carbon fiber, titanium, kevlar, and graphene.
Graphene is an exceptionally promising material that has potential applications in the medical, electronic, and environmental sectors as well as the automotive industry. The two-dimensional layer of pure carbon is 100 times stronger than steel, can conduct electricity 30 times faster than silicon, and is seven times lighter than air in aerogel form. As emissions regulations continue to ramp up, materials like this could push the world of cars forward.
The new GTA Spano will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and feature a limited production run of 99 units.
