+ Click to Enlarge BRISTOL FIGHTER: Bristol never releases cars for road test; this one belongs to collector Simon Draper.

February 7, 2006
By Martin Buckley

London, England - Bristol Cars is one of Britain's last independent manufacturers. It is also one of the smallest and most secretive of automakers.

Nobody outside the firm is allowed into the factory at Filton airport near the city of Bristol in western England and its long-term figurehead Tony Crook (who ran the firm singlehanded until recently) never releases details of sales figures or owners, many of whom are tycoons and celebrities.

However Tina Turner and former US president Jimmy Carter are said to be customers.

Essentially, Bristol has been building the same car for more than 50 years with occasional changes of body style, model name and engines, which have been supplied by Chrysler since 1961.

Styling has become increasingly odd over the years but customers are loyal; they buy into the mystique of the current Blenheim and its undoubted appeal as a dignified, luxurious and essentially practical four-seater coupé.

The Fighter, however, is something genuinely new from Bristol, a two-seater, gullwing-doored coupé that's good, Bristol says, for 335km/h, thanks to a carefully designed grille that creates a ram air effect at 320 and gives you the last 15km/h.

Power is still by Chrysler but now in the form of the Viper's V10 rather than a V8. Bristol makes no mention of the origin of the engine in its promotional material, merely stating that it produces 390kW and has been "specially developed".

And what of that 335km/h? Bristols are never officially released for full road tests; we borrowed this one, the eighth made, for impressions from collector Simon Draper.

So it's unlikely we'll ever verify it but if the firm got its sums right, it's possible. The Fighter is surprisingly light for this kind of car at 1504kg, very high-geared (it does 100km/h in first) and has clearly been styled for aerodynamics rather than for muscle-car appeal: Bristol claims a cD of 0.28.

The platform chassis and wishbone-and-coil-spring suspension are all new but certain Bristol traditions are maintained. The body is mostly aluminium and the car is relatively narrow, with a commanding driving position.

It is perhaps uniquely easy to see out of by supercar standards, with a large glass area and a small panel in the tail for reversing. Combine this with a nifty turning circle, and you have a 335km/h car that's easy to park.

Ample space

There is ample luggage space even though Bristol insisted on a full-size spare wheel rather than a space-saver.

The gullwing doors work well, swinging up to leave a deep sill but a large aperture - it is easy to get in and out. The seats are substantial and there's ample head and shoulder room; Bristol says the car will accommodate people up to two metres tall.

An "engine hours" gauge in the roof alludes to Bristol's beginnings in aircraft manufacture, as do the opening sections in the door windows. Inside it's luxurious and pleasing, with nods to tradition such as a steering wheel that is an updated version of Bristol's 1950s style, with serrated spokes.

Colossal torque

The straight-line urge of the Fighter is epic. The V10 revs to 6000rpm but 5000 is usually more than enough and feels smoother.

In fact, you can caress the car along at high speed using no more than 3000rpm, flashing up to three-figure speeds on colossal torque. Bristol claims it hits 100km/h in four seconds; and 160 is a mere 2450rpm in top.

The steering requires more attention than you'd expect, as it follows bumps in quite a pronounced way. Draper has had some significant but not radical changes made to improve this.

You learn to let it do its thing and simply enjoy the flat neutrality of the cornering (Bristol was obsessed with 50/50 weight distribution when creating the Fighter) and the grip.

There has been no attempt to give the Fighter a macho exhaust note; it just sounds powerfully gruff and rumbly. The drive train feels a bit shunty at low speed but Bristol has improved the Viper gearshift with shorter throws and a light clutch.

Smooth sides

The car looks better in the metal than in pictures. The sides and floor are smooth (the exhausts are in the sills), and the roof is teardrop-shaped to reduce drag.

The Fighter isn't beautiful but it is intriguing. It couldn't be mistaken for anything else - and at £200 000 (about R2.17-million) you wouldn't want it to be. - The independent, London