Bristol Project "Fighter": the announcement of 2000

Although it is some 45 years since Bristol last made a 2-seater production car, the memories of those compact, elegant coupes are still cherished by enthusiasts and owners alike. To celebrate the year 2000, Bristol is embarking again on a 2-seater project with the new 'Fighter'.

Although it is doubtless the car's exceptional performance that will make headlines it is in reality the car's balance of virtues that set it apart from any possible rival. It will be the first Bristol in 40 years to offer the delights of a manual transmission and it will also be the world's first production vehicle capable of over 200 mph that is available with an automatic gearbox. Its 8-litre V10 Chrysler based aluminium engine is modified as it is normal Bristol practice to give even greater power and smoothness. It will deliver colossal acceleration and speed yet potter around town with calm docility in traffic. An entirely new, lightweight body/chassis structure combines with racing style suspension, steering and brakes to give a level of handling agility and driver involvement that is unmatched.

Despite this, the practical benefits of excellent ground clearance, good loadcarrying capability and a supple, quiet ride have not been forgotten.

Whereas most fast cars have today become tiresomely bulky particularly in width, Bristols legendary packaging expertise ensures that the 'Fighter' is only 4.4 metres long, 1.8m wide and weighs in at a trim 1400 kg. The dramatic gullwing doors have a practical purpose making entry and exit much easier for the less athletic and removing forever the problem of conventional sports car doors fouling high kerbs. Inside, there is the ultimate in coachbuilt luxury with a style that quintessentially Bristol yet blends modern and traditional elements with effortless style. Seating is designed to suit a particularly wide range of occupant sizes while outward driving visibility (normally ignored on most fast cars) is exemplary and will make the 'Fighter' a joy to drive in all conditions. An exceptional turning circle and low speed power assistance make parking painless.

To encourage you to take this car on long Continental trips there is even a spacious boot that is larger than many salons. Whether driving to dinner or stretching the car's abilities on a private racetrack, the 'Fighter' can charm and entertain in equal measure.

How, you might well ask, can one car successfully reconcile so many qualities that are thought to be mutually exclusive? Long term owners will recognise this ability as deriving from the Bristol design philosophy. The company has never been constrained either by custom or its customers from embracing new or unorthodox solutions. Thus, the 'Fighter' is probably the only car to be designed in recent years where form truly does follow function. Car design normally starts with some styling sketches, these days almost inevitably either 'retro', or flashy 'techno' and the engineers then have to work within these parameters.

Bristol's are instead designed solely by engineers who started with the burning ambition to create a real driver's car providing the sort of feedback and involvement that most of today's cars have lost. It is entirely free of over-complex systems and intrusive electronics that are commonly used as a substitute for the balance and control that derive from painstaking basic engineering.

It was considered vital that the new car should be as compact as possible with a front mid engine design and a slight rearward weight distribution that marks the very best rear wheel drive cars. At the commencement of the project it was agreed that aerodynamic efficiency and stability were of overriding importance for a car that can cruise at speeds well above the take off velocity of a fully loaded 747 airliner. As a result, the shape that has currently been created addresses solely the needs of packaging and aerodynamics. Initial evaluations indicate that even with the compromises that may become necessary for the finished production car the drag factor will be approximately 0.27, a new low for a car with such a vast performance envelope.

Although our design department enjoys considerable experience with today's high downforce racing cars this concept was considered and rejected. The reason is that downforce does nothing to improve adhesion in the range of speeds where drivers experience a shortage of grip, say up to 70mph yet a high downforce car pays a significant drag penalty every moment it is driven. Worse still, at very high speeds where downforce does come into play its effect is highly variable with wind direction so that a cornering speed that is safe for a particular bend on a particular day may become unsafe if the wind direction changes. What is needed for the ultimate road car is not downforce but instead the ultimate in aerodynamic stability, low drag and very pure suspension design giving excellent mechanical grip. Accordingly, the 'Fighter' has been designed with mathematically calculated aerodynamic exterior panels so that air passes easily under its smooth belly and balances the flow over the top of the car to ensure neutral lift characteristics.

It should be noted that the scale model showcased today is an engineering concept and is being used to confirm packaging and aerodynamic requirements. Only when the model meets with the engineers' final approval will the styling department start work on finalising a shape that will be as visually exciting and elegant as it is efficient.

For those who may question why Bristol Cars should be revealing the existence of the 'Fighter' at this early stage or indeed choose to say anything about their future plans the answer is simple. We neither wish to have to deny rumours of the new car's existence or have our test programs hampered by the need for secrecy, night-time testing or the sort of prototype disguises that mean that much of the data collected is meaningless or tainted. By making an announcement now we are free to ensure that the car performs to our ideals not just on a test track but on the road where it really matters.

As of today's date, the mechanical design is frozen and components are now being sourced. A number of orders for the car are already in hand and as initial production will be limited, priority will, naturally, be given to existing Bristol customers.

INTERIM SPECIFICATION BRISTOL 'FIGHTER' CONCEPT

CHASSIS

Stiff, lightweight aluminium chassis and superstructure.

BODY

2 seater with gullwing type doors for easy access. Large conventional boot. Highly aerodynamic handformed aluminium exterior panels providing exceptional natural high speed stability, neutral lift and low drag. Carbon fibre door and boot panels.

ENGINE

Chrysler 8-litre V-10 with aluminium block and cylinder heads. Bristol enhancements to improve smoothness, response and power.

FUEL SYSTEM

Aluminium fuel tank with fuel cell. 26 gallon capacity. 4 hour range at 100mph cruise.

TRANSMISSION

Front mounted 5-speed manual or 4 speed automatic gearbox.

WEIGHT

1400kg. Distributed 48% front, 52% rear.

SUSPENSION

Front and rear independent via double wishbones with inboard spring/damper units, progressive rising wheel rates, low roll centre, high wheel/damper ratio, anti-roll bar.

STEERING

Direct acting rack and pinion with power 'assist', for low speed manoeuvring.

BRAKES

Front 355 mm ventilated discs. Rear 330 mm ventilated discs.

DIMENSIONS

Length 4.4 m. Width 1.8 m. Height 1.32 m.