Marcos Engineering Debuts the “TSO GT” Sportscar in AUSTRALIA
New 2 Seater V8 Coupe to Run at Adelaide’s Clipsal V8 Motorsport
Event Test and Evaluation Program to Follow
Adelaide, Australia, 19th March 2005 – Marcos Engineering Limited (“Marcos”) is pleased to announce the new Marcos TSO GT coupe sports car is making its world debut today in South Australia at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide motor race. The TSO GT ran pre-race laps before a crowd estimated at over 250,000 race fans – and will be on display at the event until March 20th. It will then embark on a 2800 Kilometer test and evaluation program as Marcos Engineers prepare the car for the Australian marketplace. The two seat coupe sports car delivers stunning performance with a Grand Touring capability and a familiar GM V8 powertrain that make it ideal for Australian motoring enthusiasts.
The design team was driven to capture styling cues from the 45-year winning history of the company. This includes Sir Jackie Stewarts first winning race car in 1959 – the Gullwing coupe, and the nineties British GT championship race car - the famed LM600. The TSO GT brings these classic coupes forward in precision, quality and style. This effort has produced a distinctly British sports car with classic lines and a stunning exhaust note. The design team coupled classic sculpting techniques for real-time feedback with state of the art CAD techniques for precision and speed.
“The TSO GT is a sharp, reliable, high performance V8 British sports coupe for Australia”, said Tony Stelliga, Chairman of Marcos Engineering.” We are delighted to showcase it at Australia’s premier V8 motorsport event, and to conduct testing in the diverse environment that Australia offers as we prepare it for this exciting market”.
The coupe’s racing bloodline is also visible in its performance figures. The TSO GT delivers an awe inspiring 400 horsepower in a lightweight sports car that weighs just under 1100kg. These impressive power to weight figures enable it to accelerate to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds and to 100mph in just over 9 seconds. The GT will accelerate from 50 to 70 mph in just over 2 seconds and its top speed is estimated to be over 185 mph.
Power is provided by a 5.7 Litre V8 Engine derived from the same GM powerplant used in Corvette and Holden race cars worldwide. This engine has also taken Marcos racecars to numerous motorsport wins over the last decade, including winning the British GT Series Championship. This Aluminium Alloy engine is extremely reliable, lightweight and compact and further benefits from Marcos enhancements that increase drivability.
The TSO GT provides driving agility and impressive road holding due to extensive chassis development and testing under a partnership with Prodrive – a recognized leader in chassis dynamics, vehicle dynamic systems and powertrains in Australia and world wide. Currently, Prodrive has six World Rally titles and five British Touring Car Championships to their name.
Marcos has also established a new business, Marcos Australia, to import and distribute Marcos cars in Australia.
Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, was chosen as the site for the world launch because of its long history in motor racing as the original home of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix and now the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, six time winner of the AVESCO Awards as Australia’s best motor sport event.
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Originally Posted by McReis
