The arms race that is building the world’s fastest track toy is over. It ended not at the hands of the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, but with the creation of British engineering firm Tour De Force, which went for the jugular by turning ex-Formula 1 cars into track cars that private owners can operate on their own—at great expense, of course.
TDF calls its creation the TDF-1 as a nod to the source of the cars’ monocoques, which were originally built by F1 teams Virgin and Sauber. Rather than their original 2.4-liter V8s, which produced over 700 horsepower, these chassis are now powered by turbocharged 1.7-liter four-cylinders developed with the aid of noted engine tuner Mountune. While those engines may sound like significant downgrades (because they are) the reality is that while everyone’s down to drive F1 cars, not even billionaires want the headache of maintaining them, so TDF opted for a more reliable powertrain, one that it says may only need serious service once a year.
Don’t assume that cutting the number of cylinders in half has similarly halved the TDF-1’s performance, though. These engines still produce 600 horsepower near the top of a 9,000-rpm rev range, giving the TDF-1 a power-to-weight ratio of 1,000 horsepower per ton. For context, that’s in the neighborhood of the SSC Tuatara hypercar, and it’s all thanks to the TDF-1’s 1,322-pound dry weight. Add fluids and a driver, and you’re still looking at somewhere south of 1,600 pounds.
But having a wallet that can handle a TDF-1 doesn’t mean having the driving skills to handle one. These brutes can apparently dash from a standstill to 60 mph in under two seconds, and on to a top speed of over 200 mph. Through fast corners, TDF-1s can pull four Gs, and under full braking, they’ll generate four-and-a-half Gs, or enough to literally juice tears from your eyes.
But if you think yourself a big boy who doesn’t cry anymore and you want to see if you’re the next Niki Lauda, go right ahead and order one. Just please oh please let us have lap or two as well.
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