Built in Sydney, the Spartan is a lightweight two-seat roadster aimed at track day addicts.
On sale in the UK this week – where road rules are more accommodating of extreme machines on public streets – the Spartan joins exotic machines such as the Brabham BT62 as an Australian car taking on the likes of Ferrari and McLaren.
Priced from £105,000 ($187,000) plus on-road costs and delivery fees, it costs about as much as a mid-range Porsche 911 in the UK.
But the Spartan promises to be significantly faster on track.
Power comes from a supercharged 2.4-litre Honda engine that delivers around 300kW of thrust.
Weighing in around 700 kilos – less than half that of most sports cars – the Spartan has a power-to-weight ratio to rival purebred racing cars.
It reaches 100km/h in 2.5 seconds, tops out at more than 250km/h, and promises to be even faster in the bends.
The machine has been developed over the course of several years, with help from Sydney Motorsport Park lap record holder Barton Mawer.
Developed by Sydney-based twins Nick and Peter Pap, the car started off with an engine pinched from a Ducati motorcycle, before graduating to a naturally aspirated four-cylinder Honda motor and the supercharged engine driving the rear wheels today.
Key hardware includes carbon fibre bodywork, seriously clever TracTive electronic suspension, a sequential gearbox, AP racing brakes and semi-slick racing tyres.
Huge spoilers glue the car to the track at speed, and a lack of driver aids promises to make the Spartan a raw – and challenging – machine to master.
The car’s UK importer, Oliver Hulme, said there is nothing on sale quite like Australia’s Spartan.
“We are thrilled to be offering this stunning car that, by combining cutting-edge technology with jaw-dropping 1960s-inspired styling, brings something completely fresh and exciting to the ever-expanding track-day market,” he said.
Tiny headlights added to the front end help make the car road-legal in Britain.
The car is also available to Australian customers – but only for use on circuits and closed roads.