Last week, Performance Solutions revealed plans to build what it
calls a “street-legal race car.” It’s called the “Mosquito,” a throwback to the
De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito British World War II fighter plane known for its
speed and lightweight construction.
Designed by Tomáš Sabáček, the Mosquito draws
inspiration from the famous aircraft in the sense that it will be extremely
lightweight. It’s projected to tip the scales at just 974 kilograms, thanks mostly to a full carbon fiber body. That’s impressive for a car that
will have 600 hp and 650 Nm of torque from a naturally
aspirated V8 engine.
Ryan Thoma, business development manager at
Performance Solutions, told Carscoops the company hasn’t yet chosen an engine,
although it’s leaning towards “a proven American powerplant.” In order to keep
the weight down, the engine will be mated to a single-clutch racing gearbox
operated by paddle shifters.
So how fast will the Mosquito be? Performance
Solutions estimates it will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds
and will reach more than 320 km/h. That sounds great for drag racing,
but will it be any good on a racetrack? It should, as it will feature a
proprietary Active Ride Control system which, according to the company, “will
allow the vehicle’s suspension and aerodynamic subsystems to work in
synchronicity, actively minimizing drag and maximizing downforce.” Only 18 street-legal Mosquitos
will be built – and they won’t come cheap.
Looking at the renderings, it’s obvious the Mosquito
will feature a racing aero kit with a massive rear wing, huge front splitter,
and a central tail fin. It will look like a race car inside too, thanks to a
customizable dash including a head-up display and bucket seats built into the
carbon fiber interior.
The project is in the very early stages at the
moment, with the company having just kicked off the design phase. The car is
still 24 months away — and that is if everything goes according to plan.
If it does, Performance Solutions
wants to build only 18 Mosquito supercars, each highly customized according to
its buyers’ wishes. Expect a seven-figure price, “close to that of the Brabham
BT62“, which has a £ 1 million (US$ 1.32 million) tag. Performance Solutions is already
taking build slot reservations, while further down the road it would also like
to race the Mosquito at Le Mans.
