New Zealand-based performance car manufacturer Rodin Cars has announced that its FZERO track hypercar is officially entering production. Developing a track car enabled Rodin to work without restrictions of road laws or race series regulations: a development programme with no limits, which has had extraordinarily results. As Rodin’s engineers say, the goal of the FZero is to be the fastest car around any track, without exception.
The headline figures are impressive: a top speed in excess of 360kph (224mph), 1,176hp, a 698kg weight (wet) and a power-to-weight ratio of 1.662 (PS/kg).
Low weight and high stiffness are achieved with the carbon fibre composite chassis, manufactured on site at Rodin Cars’ facility, located on a remote 550-hectare property in the South Island. The site also houses a build facility, 3D-printing resources and three test tracks.
That high-powered engine was designed and developed from the ground up by Rodin Cars, in conjunction with Neil Brown Engineering, an engine manufacturer. At just 132 kg, The 4.0-litre V10 twin-turbo engine, named the RCTEN, is designed to be the lightest and most compact V10 ever built, and its 1,176hp power and 1,026Nm of torque is also achieved with the assistance of an electric power unit. The delivery is exciting too, with 10,000rpm redline.
Rodin Cars is developing the engine in conjunction with Neil Brown Engineering
The engine is paired with a bespoke gearbox unit manufactured in conjunction with Ricardo UK, which gives the FZERO eight gears whilst only adding just under 66kg. The gearbox is encased in a titanium 3D-printed case, printed on site in Rodin Cars’ facility. The differential is hydraulic, and computer controlled.
The car stops well too, with front and rear 380mm PFC carbon-carbon brakes, with titanium callipers (six-piston front and four-piston rear). The braking system has both ABS and traction control, and also offers regenerative braking from the hybrid system.
The wheels are a bespoke set of 18in forged magnesium rims, manufactured in conjunction with OZ Racing and produced to F1 standards. The rims are 18 x 14in at the front and 18 x 16in at the rear. The tyres are a race-spec full-slick compound developed by Avon and can be changed depending on weather.
In terms of aero, the massive wings and floor of the FZERO are claimed to be capable of producing up to 4,000kg of downforce.
“The Rodin FZERO is the physical representation of the ultimate heights in vehicle performance. Without the restrictions of building to a set of rules, we are able to make the car lighter, more powerful, and produce significantly more downforce. The only real restrictions we face are the laws of physics, and we have even pushed those to the absolute limit,” said David Dicker, founder of Rodin Cars.
The FZERO design is claimed to generate 4,000kg of downforce.
The Rodin FZERO will be available to 27 customers in summer 2023 in a configuration of their choice, with customisation of the dynamic setup available based on their driving style and the track on which they will be using it. Rodin owners will also receive access to custom racewear services, vehicle storage and delivery, and full driver training at Rodin’s private race tracks.
Rodin Cars’ picturesque facility in New Zealand
FZERO in figures:
| WEIGHT | ||
| 698kg | ||
| DIMENSIONS | ||
| Length | 5,500mm | |
| Width | 2,200mm | |
| Height | 1,130mm | |
| Track, Front | 1,852mm | |
| Track, Rear | 1,790mm | |
| Wheelbase | 3,000mm |
ENGINE
| DISPLACEMENT [cc] | 4,000cc (not created to be bored to 4.5L or 5.0L) |
| MAX ENGINE POWER [PS]@ rpm | 1,000 @ 9,000rpm |
| MAX ENGINE TORQUE [Nm]@ rpm | 910 @ 7,250rpm |
| MAX COMBINED POWER [PS] | 1,176 |
| MAX COMBINED TORQUE [Nm] | 1,026 |
| MAX ENGINE SPEED [rpm] | 10,000rpm |
| BORE [mm]x STROKE [mm] | 86mm x 68.8mm |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 10:1 |
| FUEL INJECTION | Direct Bosch running at 200 bar |
| THROTTLE | Bosch drive-by-wire |
| OVERALL UNIT WEIGHT [kg] | 132 kg not including intake and exhaust systems |
| Hybrid motor power | 130kW |
