Car Identification

[Alex]

I've been watching the coverage of this years Gumball 3000 and during the opening sequence a car is shown to which I am a complete loss in trying to identify.





It appears to be wearing UK plates, and doesn't appear to be any current Ferrari or Porsche.

[durf]

It's a Farboud GT. Produced in Great Britain and powered by a worked-over Audi 2.7L twin-turbo V6, putting out 600 hp.

[1985 Gripen]

I don't know, but there's a small pic from the rear of the car here.



It's too bad you can't make out the number on the car. There's a list of the cars and drivers by number here.

[1985 Gripen]

Sorry to Durf, I was searching for stuff on the car when that post answering the question was posted.

I did some searching on the Farboud GT and the Gumball and came across this page with this excellent photo of the car.

[Alex]

Excellent detective work

[ejenner]

what a cool looking car..!! no good for anything except going fast. but great nonetheless.

[Alex]

Unfortunately the car only appears in the opening credits of the show.

I believe that Farboud have recently changed direction and the proposed car now doesn't use the turbocharged Audi engine. Also I think Arash Farboud has sold out, having realised that he doesn't understand the car building business.

[ejenner]

RAC have a little thing on their website that lets you get a partial history on cars - the obvious benfit being that you will then click the "check vehicle history" button and pay for a full history check.

[Saabstudent]

Nice,
But personally i prefer this entrant from the 2005 gumball.....



G

To see others, including ones on the back of a low-loader when the car spat its gearbox out try http://www.saabphotos.com/gallery/ThorTheTurbo

Oh yeah and Farboud sold out to Chris Marsh (ex Mr Marcos) who appears to be taking the car in the right direction. i.e a lot cheaper and therefore more of a realistic proposition.

G

[Alex]

Looks good. Shame there was no coverage of the car at all on the TV series. Did you beat the ice cream van to Monaco?

[Saabstudent]

okay i have to fess up, i didn't have the 10 grand entry fee for the gumball so didn't actually take part. Basically a bunch of us drove to Monaco for the F1GP and as it was the finish for the gumball we liveried up the cars. However some people really did think we had taken part in the event (many were surprised to see us there before all the faster porsches etc!) and we even got a round of applause going through casino square. Didn't see the ice cream van all weekend so i hope and presume we beat it. We did overtake a Dodge viper and AC Cobra at considerable speed on one of the french autoroutes though (not bad for a 13yr old car three up, fully loaded boot with 140k on the clock - indicated 132mph). Unfortunately on the return journey the car decided that it wanted to part company with its gearbox and stranded us in aix en provence (about 750 miles from calais). After refusing to pay the 2.5grand bill to a saab main dealer to fix it the car was put on a road train up to paris and limped to calais (using all three available gears!) where i phoned the RAC who towed it to Newcastle for me. Oh the joys! Trip i will never forget though. One new and reconditioned gearbox later it is in rude health.

G