Last weekend’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring provided Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus with a golden opportunity to give the 004S road-legal supercar its baptism on the Green Hell. While the SCG 004C race car was preparing for the start of its maiden race (it finished it 14th overall), its road-going variant, the 004S was spotted in the paddock before making its first test run on the Nordschleife less than an hour before the race.
The 004S prototype did not enjoy perfect
conditions for high-speed testing, though, making its first Nürburgring run in
cold weather and a torrential rain storm. Fortunately, spy photographers were
able to take two dynamic shots of the SCG 004S while testing in the downpour.
That’s a big deal as the general public’s
access to the track was limited to the grandstands bordering the start-finish
straight, with no spectators allowed anywhere else around the Nordschleife.
You’ll also notice that the gallery includes several shots taken from the
cockpit during the test; we’re told that a lucky insider took them while
getting an impromptu ride in one of the 004S’ passenger seats.
Yes, the supercar has a similar seating
layout to the McLaren F1, with the driver’s seat in the center and two
passengers seats placed further back on each side of the driver. Apparently,
only one of the two passenger seats were fitted during the lap, as the area
where the other seat would normally be was occupied by test equipment.
Looking at the photos, it’s easy to notice
that the 004S prototype features some new aerodynamic body elements compared to
the car previewed by SCG in February this year. Mind you, compared to the 004C
competition variant and the promised 004CS street-legal racer, it has a much
less radical aerodynamic kit and fewer air intakes.
Under the louvered engine cover lurks a
supercharged V8 engine with 650 horsepower and no electric assistance
whatsoever. Add to that the six-speed manual gearbox from Graziano and lightweight
construction (the body and chassis are made from carbon fiber), and the
mid-engined supercar promises to be a delight for purists. Scuderia Cameron
Glickenhaus says the 004S will start from $460,000 ex factory. Production is
expected to start in late 2021 or early 2022 as the COVID-19 pandemic has
affected the development schedule.