Visitors to the recent Sunday Scramble event at Bicester Heritage became the first to see the new British-built Nichols Cars N1A supercar.
Inspired by Can-Am racers from the 1960s, most notably the McLaren M1A, the retro-styled N1A attracted plenty of attention from car enthusiasts.
Given its reception, potential buyers may need to move quickly to secure one of 100 build slots for the road-going Nichols Cars N1A. All 15 ‘launch edition’ cars have already been sold.
An icon of motorsport engineering
The N1A was created by renowned motorsport engineer, Steve Nichols. Having worked at McLaren during the 1980s, Nichols became the team’s lead F1 designer in 1987. He subsequently developed the McLaren MP4/4, driven by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, which dominated the 1988 season with 15 wins out of 16 races.
Nichols continued his career with other F1 teams, including Ferrari, Jordan, Jaguar and Sauber, always working with cutting-edge materials such as carbon fibre.
Nichols also maintained an enthusiasm for racing cars from the 1960s, including the McLaren M1A Can-Am sports prototype, which eventually led to the Nichols Cars N1A. The lightweight roadster combines classic styling with modern materials and technology.
Less weight, more power
The bodywork of the N1A is crafted from carbon fibre, and was shaped in the wind tunnel at MIRA in Nuneaton, while its chassis combines more carbon fibre with aluminium. The complete car weighs just 900kg.
Power comes from a big hunk of American muscle: a mid-mounted General Motors LS3 V8. Substantially upgraded, it now displaces 7.0 litres (427 cubic inches) and produces 650hp.
A six-speed manual gearbox is the only transmission available, and comes with an Ayrton Senna-inspired gearknob. The rest of the interior is elegantly simple, with a reclined seating position influenced by the MP4/4 F1 car.
Senna and Prost would likely have welcomed the N1A’s blend of leather and fabric upholstery, along with its switchable traction control.
Best of British
John Minett, CEO of Nichols Cars, said: “The Sunday Scramble was the ideal location for the public debut of the N1A and we have been so humbled and appreciative of the support of attendees – and those cheering on from further afar – with the launch of the N1A.”
Nichols has committed to producing no more than 100 examples of the N1A, including the 15 launch edition models – each one commemorating a particular victory by the McLaren MP4/4. The first completed cars should be delivered to customers in spring 2024.
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