Rocket Redux: Spiritual Father of the McLaren F1 Is Back

CHIGWELL, U.K. — Gordon Murray, designer of Formula 1 racing cars for Brabham and McLaren in the 1970s and '80s, is also famous for his design of an ultra-quick, super-lightweight sports car. No, we're not talking about the McLaren F1. Before the F1 there was another exotic car from Murray: the Rocket. And it has just been re-introduced in Britain.

Chris Craft, a racer at the 24 hours of Le Mans and a sports-car collector, had a vision of a road-going racing car in the early 1970s. But it took close to 20 years to make it happen. His idea, as developed by Gordon Murray, became the Rocket, a small, open-top, cigar-shaped two-seater that weighed half as much as the original Mini. The little speedster accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds, thanks to a 143-horsepower engine sourced from a Yamaha superbike. BBC Top Gear elected the Rocket to its list of Top 100 Fastest Cars.

Fewer than 40 units were completed before Murray decided to pursue other interests. Minimalist cars like the Rocket became surprisingly popular afterwards, notably the Ariel Atom, which is available in the U.S.

Chris Craft and his son Luke have piqued the interest of the British media with their introduction of a modern-day version of the Rocket. It's still powered by a Yamaha motorcycle engine, now bored out to 1,150cc. The combination of 170 hp with a curb weight of just 877 pounds helps deliver a top speed estimated at 140 mph.

The Rocket will cost the equivalent of about $99,500, and the company plans to make just 10 cars a year.

© Source: insideline
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