Ginetta Akula Debuts in Geneva with Sharp Lines and 600 Horsepower
Ginetta supercar has the look of a prototype racer, a 2,535-pound curb weight and a 200-mile-per-hour top speed.
If you aren’t well-versed on British boutique supercars, you may not be familiar with Ginetta, but the company has been building race cars and high performance road cars since the 1950s. Their road cars have typically been curvy, compact machines while their race cars have featured varied styling based on the popular design direction of the era.
At the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, Ginetta revealed the brand’s newest supercar, combining decades of on-road performance with the aggressive exterior design and weight-saving efforts of their prototype racing program. This car is named the Akula and it is the hottest new supercar to roll out of the United Kingdom, but like most modern boutique supercars, the new British bomber carries a big price tag.
“The concept behind the Akula was to build something truly individual, something that other brands cannot do due to corporate constraints,” said company Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson. “Designed to cut through the air like a shark through water, the car unquestionably means business, and I’m proud to be manufacturing a car of such significance in the UK.”
Meet the Akula
The Akula name comes from the Russian language, where it means “shark”, but the Akula is also a class of nuclear-powered attack submarines. A shark and an attack submarine certainly serve as excellent inspiration for a modern supercar, and this new Ginetta is equipped to attack with looks fitting of a predator. Copious amounts of carbon fiber makes of the body, which has a front end look that is a little bit prototype racer and a little bit LaFerrari.
The engine is set back further than your average front-engine supercar, allowing the designers to create unique air flow across and through the front end. Really, the front end looks more like a race car than a road car, with a spread of splitters and vents covering the face of the Akula.
Along the sides, there is more aero-friendly sculpting, while the greenhouse is also set back, creating a unique silhouette from the side that has a long front end and a rounded rear end that flows from the roof to the ground.
Big Power
Under the hood is a naturally aspirated, 6.0-liter V8 that sends 600 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels by means of a sequential, rear-mounted transaxle with paddle shifters and six speeds. When coupled with the 2,535-pound curb weight, the Akula has a top speed of 200 miles per hour.
There are no acceleration numbers, but the combination of 600 horsepower, 516 lb-ft of torque, a six-speed sequential transmission and a weight-with-driver of less than 2,700 pounds should make this one quick machine. With good traction, this car should be able to dash from a stop to 60 miles per hour in the high 2-second range or low 3-second range, with the ability to cover the standing quarter mile in the 10-second range.
Small Production, Big Price
The Ginetta Akula is one of the most interesting British boutique supercars we have seen in many moons, but there are a few downsides. First, only 20 units are planned for production for 2020 and 60% of them were purchased before the car was introduced in Geneva. Second, this car has a price of roughly $445,000 U.S. dollars, so it is priced similarly to the world’s leading hypercars.
However, if you have that kind of money and you don’t want to settle for the average Lamborghini or Ferrari that you see at the local mall, the Ginetta Akula could be the answer.
As a special perk, Akula buyers get to spend time behind the wheel of the company’s G58 race car on a race track, under the watchful eye of a professional driving instructor. This prepares the buyers for their time in their new Akula while also giving them a unique on-track driving experience.
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