Comeback Car
July 6, 2008
There's only room for one in the sleek new Veritas RS III. But at 347 (215 miles) kilometers per hour, maybe the co-driver is best left at home.
A prototype of the new Veritas recently turned heads at sports car event in Monte Carlo and at the Spa-Francorchamps racetrack in Belgium.
Vermot AG, a sports car manufacturer based south of the western German city of Cologne, plans to build 30 Veritas RS III super sports cars annually with the first models to be delivered by the end of the year.
Racing legend re-invented
The Veritas, launched in the early days of 1948, won some 13 German championships and 29 first places, making it one of the most successful German racing cars. It was the first German Formula 1 car in 1951.
Built without dynamic stability control, the vehicle is designed to provide a "true race feeling."
The new version is being launched on the car's 60th anniversary. Owners will be able to choose between a V8 and a V10 engine. The V8 is listed with a top speed of 329 kilometers per hour and the V10 at 347 kph. Acceleration from zero to 100 kph is 3.6 and 3.2 seconds respectively.
The single-seater is built on a tubular framework with a lightweight carbon-kevlar body. Vermont is also planning a hard-top coupe version designed to seat a single passenger for next year.
Aimed at customers who can afford a Bugatti or top of the range Ferrari, Vermont is keeping quiet about the price tag.