India's Vazirani Automotive unveils jet turbine supercar
Video game fantasy set to become reality as high-tech jet-powered supercar breaks coverThe Vazirani Shul_Inspire Gran Turismo concept car is not your average supercar vision.
It's driven by a jet-turbine electric powertrain, developed by legendary Gran Turismo video game creator Kazunori Yamauchi and features aerodynamic bodywork crafted by the Force India Formula 1 team.
Although it's only a concept car at this stage and will make its dynamic debut in the virtual world within the Gran Turismo video game, company founder Chunky Vazirani said the end game is to build and sell the car globally.
The Vazirani Automotive boss whipped the covers off the striking design at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he told media that plans are underway to begin testing a prototype car late this year with an eye towards production in the near future.
Vazirani has not released any performance figures for the all-wheel drive EV supercar, arguing that the car is focussed on agility and connecting vehicle and driver.
Accordingly, the Vazirani Shul "transcends ego" and is propelled by four near-wheel electric motors capable of delivering Rimac-like traction and torque vectoring.
By comparison, the Rimac Concept_One bangs out an insane 800kW/1600Nm.
The Vazirani Shul features a 300kg battery pack that is charged by the car's petrol-powered jet turbine, which has been sourced in the UK.
It's not clear if there's any direct connection between the jet turbine and the driving wheels, but Vazirani says the jet adds a unique acoustic element that will "elevate" the experience.
The car itself is based around a carbon-fibre tub to reduce weight and increase rigidity, while many of the Vazirani Shul's body panels are also made from carbon-fibre. It uses a single speed transmission and has been fitted with Brembo brakes and Michelin tyres.
Although it’s spruiked as India's first home-grown supercar (after the Tata Racemo was canned), development of the Vazirani Shul has taken place across the world, with Japanese, British, Indian, Italian and US input.
The company states it wants to move away from modern car design and that principles that guided the car's development drew upon Indian culture.
"We are not about aggression, we are more about the connection to the car through the experience of its entirety," says Vazirani.
"The car should reconnect one with oneself, through an immersive and calm driving experience. In a dog eat dog world where everything is all about competition we want to encourage connected-ness."
It may all sound a bit airy-fairy but the eye-catching Vazirani Shul creation has some serious players in its corner, including Michelin and the Force India Formula 1 team.
Dr Vijay Mallya, team principle of the Sahara Force India Formula One Team, said he was "delighted to see the launch of the first ever Indian Supercar".
"It is only logical for us to collaborate with Vazirani Automotive to advise mainly with aerodynamic design and participate in this important milestone in Indian automotive engineering," said Mallya.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed plays host to some of the world's rarest performance cars so it takes something a little special to stand out from the crowd – but Indian start-up Vazirani did that with its wild jet turbine electric supercar.
What do you think – vapourware or something with substance? Leave a comment below.
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