The
Biera V8 from UK based small-scale automotive manufacturer
Breckland Technology is a two seat sports car based on GM's
Kappa RWD platform. The Kappa platform is used on the Pontiac
Solstice and Saturn Sky
roadster.
The Breckland Technology Biera V8 is powered - unsurprisingly
- by a V8 engine, a 6.0 litre LS2 unit from GM to be exact.
This powerplant is borrowed from the Chevrolet
Corvette and Pontiac GTO
models. For the Biera V8 it has been tuned to develop just
a fraction under 400 horsepower. The engine is dual-fuel capable,
and can be run on either petrol or liquefied petroleum gas.
This not only helps to reduce running costs and emissions,
but also gives the Beira V8 a 700 mile range. Coupled to the
V8 is a Tremec six-speed manual transmission sending power
to the rear wheels.
Breckland Technology limited their development of the Biera
V8 to areas which were critical - not fanciful. This was done
in order to keep costs down and speed up development. Therefore
the basic structure of the Kappa platform remains pretty much
unchanged. However improvements have been made to the suspension
and handling components. The Biera V8 is fitted with uprated
springs, dampers and bushes, plus thicker front and rear anti-roll
bars all from KW Suspension.
The Breckland Technology Biera V8 benefits from uprated brakes.
325mm ventilated discs appear on all four wheels. These are
grabbed by six-pot calipers at the front and four-pot units
at the rear.
The body of the Biera V8 has been remodeled both front and
rear by Breckland Technology using lightweight composites
instead of steel. The resulting appearance is not groundbreaking
but it is well designed and visually appealing.
Inside, the Breckland Technology Biera V8 features a custom-built
interior, including electric windows, air conditioning, twin
airbags - in the steering wheel and in the passenger dash - combined with clear,
concise instrumentation, and hand-stitched leather/Alcantara
seats and trim.
The stylish central instrument cluster incorporates a double
DIN showcase of mobile entertainment from in-car specialists,
Clarion. It includes a 7" TFT color touch screen, DVD
player, direct iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and an in-built
30Gb hard disk drive (HDD) navigation system. Buyers can also
opt for the rear reversing camera, which relays the view behind
onto the same in-dash display.
Similar and related vehicles:
Pontiac Solstice
Saturn Sky
Chevrolet Corvette C6
Pontiac GTO
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