Lister Cars comes back with a bang and a $3.2 million, 1000-horsepower supercar in tow

By Andrew Hard October 31, 2014

Lister Motor Company — Image used with permission by copyright holder

They say the first impression is the most important, but what about the second?

British carmaker Lister Cars is looking to make the most of its second go around, and it’s taking big chances from the get-go .

The Cambridge-based company has announced plans to build a $3.2-million hypercar, with a supercharged, 7.8-liter V12 providing a massive 1,000 horsepower. You won’t find any progressive hybrid tech here, just ferocious belt-driven analog power.

Speaking to Auto Express, Lister Cars Managing Director Lawrence Whittaker said the still unnamed thoroughbred will be designed to take on automotive giants like the LaFerrari, McLaren P1, Pagani Huayra, and Koenigsegg Agera. Even better, Lister plans to make the car almost completely from scratch, with the gargantuan engine being designed and built in-house.

The hypercar is still in its infancy, so aspirations and sketches are all Lister has to offer as this point. As Whittaker points out, though, it’s not exactly an easy swim to the top; the high-end supercar world is a vicious, bloody shark tank.

“We are not interested in building the fastest car we can, but one that puts the Lister name in the forefront of people’s minds with a world-beating product,” he said.

Lister Motor Company — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Lister does have a storied history in the racing and bespoke world, so the British brand won’t exactly be starting from scratch.

The company is known for its rounded ‘Knobbly’ racecars of the 1950s, where the Jaguar-powered speedster took home a win at the 1957 British Empire Trophy.

You may also know the Lister name from the striking ‘Storm’ that raced in the 1990s. The road-going version used a 7.0-liter V12, the largest ever fitted to a production car since WWII, and was known as the fastest four-seater in the world until 2006’s Brabus Rocket.

Lister Cars came back from a nearly 25-year absence in 2013.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

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