Elfin Plans To Sell T5 Back To Brits

The Age

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Steve Colquhoun

The car maker will target Clubman heartland with its Type5 open-wheeler, writes Steve Colquhoun.

SPORTS car maker Elfin has launched an ambitious plan to establish a lucrative export market for its newest model, the Type5 Clubman, in Britain.

In a plan akin to selling cars to Detroit, the Braeside-based niche manufacturer wants to sell the open-wheeler back to the country from which it originated and where it still has a passionate following.

Elfin general manager John Clark said up to 65 of the 100 "T5s" his company planned to build next year could make their way to British owners.

Elfin last week rolled out the T5 for the media, saying it was designed as a 21st-century evolution of the open-wheel Clubman-style sports cars made by Lotus, as well as Elfin, from the late 1950s.

The turbocharged four-cylinder T5 is a departure from the two V8-powered Elfin models the company has sold since 2004. It returns to Elfin founder Garrie Cooper's ideal of bolting a small but potent power plant into a lightweight, agile chassis suited to both track and road.

The entry-level T5, at $64,950, will undercut its closest direct rival in Australia, the Clubman-based Caterham Seven SVR 200, by more than $40,000.

The T5 Clubman is fitted with a 2.0-litre Ecotec turbocharged engine with direct injection and variable-cam timing. It produces 194kW at 5300rpm and a hefty 351Nm from 2500-5300rpm, which - on semi-slick tyres - flings the 760kg chassis from standstill to 100km/h in a Porsche 911 Turbo-matching 3.9seconds.

The engine is the same one fitted to GM models, including the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky. Reinforcing Elfin's strong Holden links are several components pilfered from the VE Commodore parts bin, including the steering rack and column, differential and brakes. Mr Clark said this ensured good accessibility for parts, as well as Commodore-like levels of reliability and durability.

While the base model gets fabric seats, 16-inch wheels and black gauges in an abridged dashboard, the $72,950 alternative gets leather trim, 17-inch wheels, a performance limited-slip differential, a full dashboard including yellow gauges, projector headlamps and black body highlights.

Elfin also plans to offer "component cars" in kit form from next year for customers to assemble at home, saving them money.

"We're also looking at a 2.4-litre naturally-aspirated version of

this engine that would better suit a build-at-home scenario, driven by the complexity that comes with fitting turbos and intercoolers," Mr Clark said.

He said Elfin would supply full technical support and guide customers through the process of gaining ADR approvals should they wish to road-register their vehicle.

Factory-built turn-key cars already have ADR compliance.

For a first drive of the Elfin T5 Clubman, visit drive.com.au/elfin

© 2008 The Age

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