Sector
111 Project Dragon V8
The
Sector 111 Project Dragon track car was first announced back in December of
2013. But at the time it was just a body-less functioning prototype. Well now
it has a body, and a scheduled production date.
Based
on the Palatov Motorsport D2 chassis, the Sector 111 Project Dragon is powered
by a GM-sourced LS3 V8, tuned to produce 430 horsepower and 424 lb-ft of
torque. The transmission is lifted from a Porsche 911, and to keep it
old-school, there are no electronic driver aids, including traction control,
stability control, or even ABS.
The
target weight for the car is 1,800 lbs (816 kgs). That’s not superlight as far
as stripped-down track cars go, but it’s lighter than the D2 on which it is
based. And considering the size and output of the engine, the power-to-weight
ratio should be excellent.
The
Sector 111 Project Dragon rides on 17×8-inch front wheels, and 18/10.5-inch
rear wheels. Lightweight forged alloy wheels are available as an option.
The
car is still undergoing extensive track testing, with the help and input of
Palatov Motorsport, and the builders are keen to make sure the car is reliable
and the build quality is extremely high. Specialist engineers, including ex-GM
engineering employees, have been brought in to make sure the drivetrain
integration is seamless. The car is 50 State emissions compliant, and will be
sold with a 2 year / 50,000 mile warranty.
Other
highlights of the car include a Cosworth digital dash with a custom
configurable display, Bi-Xenon headlights and LED sidelights.
The
Sector 111 Project Dragon is designed and built entirely in the USA. Sector 111
is based in California, Palatov
Motorsport are located in Oregon, while the company drafted in to design the
bodywork, Zukan Plan, come from Ohio.
The
car is expected to go on sale by late 2014. Price for a rolling chassis is
expected to be in the US$ 70,000 range. While a completed turn-key car is said to
go for around US$ 90,000. That might sound like a lot of money for what is an
impractical and fairly basic car, but in the world of highly specialised track
cars it’s actually pretty reasonable.