Teens and video game aficionados probably know the Spectre R42 from Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, while others might know it from the less than stellar movie, RPM, featuring David Arquette. If weird movies and video games are not your thing, you can consider the Spectre R42 to be the supercar that has an interesting connection with the Ford GT40.
The two-seater mid-engined rear-wheel drive sports car was the brainchild of Ray Christopher of GT Development. And while the sleek supercar looks very much like an Italian stallion, it was actually a British automobile envisioned as a contemporary GT40. The R42 famously stole some styling elements from more acclaimed car models like the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari 288 GTO.
This is what gearheads should know about the Spectre R42, except for the fact that it shares several features with some of the most stunning automobiles in the world.
Development Costs Were So High On The Spectre R42 That The Company Went Bankrupt
Back when Ray Christopher was with GT Development, the company was famous for developing very precise replicas of the GT40, so he wanted to experiment with the concept and create his own version of the legendary Le Mans car. It didn’t take too long and Christopher came up with the R42, which shared the layout, proportions, and even an updated monocoque construction with the iconic GT40, but had more modern technology.
Initially, Christopher hoped to design a racing car he could take to Le Mans to win the most famous endurance race in Europe. But there was a miscalculation from his side. The Spectre R42 had to get homologated for racing in order to be eligible to compete in Le Mans. This means, he couldn’t build only a car but had to manufacture a limited number of road going vehicles. Needless to say, development costs were enormous, and the company were unable to keep up with them. The last blow came with the recession in the early 1990s, which impacted most of the Western nations. In the end, the company went bankrupt and the crisis left GT Development with just the working prototype.
The Long Road From GT Development To Spectre Motors
The public and automotive industry already knew about the existence of the R42 because GT Development presented it at the 1993 London Motor Show. Therefore, when the American company Spectre Motors Inc. took over, they only had to revive the strategy and start manufacturing a modern GT40. The Americans had an ace up their sleeve, and that was Anders Hildebrand, GT Development's former sales agent. Anders was leading Spectre, and he knew the car pretty well. Not only that, but he also paid US$2.5 million for the rights to the car and four months later, Anders sent the vehicle into production.
Anders set up a start-up company when he brought in new investors and appointed Derek Bell, the five-time Le Mans winner, as chairman and development consultant. In addition, he inaugurated the ALCO-Spectre racing program. But despite his efforts, the company sold only 23 vehicles. Most of the vehicles went to buyers based in Switzerland, so the supercar didn’t become a global success and rich overseas consumers didn’t hear about it.
The Spectre R42 Is A Super Rare High-Performance Car
Each unit of the Spectre R42 took roughly 2,000 man-hours to manufacture. But that was hardly the only interesting aspect about this car. In fact, the R42 was something like a parts bin, with components from different cars. For example, Spectre borrowed the door handles and front lights from the Toyota MR2. In addition, it took the taillights from the Honda Legend. Even more interesting is the choice of air vents and other interior parts, as Spectre borrowed those from the Ford Fiesta.
Although the Spectre team hoped the R42 would become a race beast and a street-legal supercar, it sold only a few vehicles, but that does make this car a very rare gem. Collectors who hope to buy one of these cars will have a hard time locating a Spectre R42 because one rarely hits the market.
Bring a Trailer reports that H & H in Warrington, Cheshire, England auctioned an R42 in 2015. Back then, Bring a Trailer estimated that the car would sell for $38,000 to $45,000. The Danish dealer Stelvio auctioned another R42 for $43,900 during the same period. Considering that a 4.6-liter Ford V8 engine, which generated 335 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 317 lb-ft of torque, powered the R42, this car is a steal. The only problem is finding an R42 in excellent condition and convincing the owner to sell it.