Rapier Automotive is betting that its new supercar will capture the very essence of the thin, light, fast, and well-balanced thrusting swords that were made infamous by the sport of Fencing and that also carry its name. Based out of Boston, Massachusetts, Rapier Automotive has been methodically preparing its mid-engine supercar for the past five years and is now taking orders. Billed as the ‘most exclusive hand-built supercar on the planet’, the Rapier Superlight Coupe, or SL-C for short, offers a multitude of unique engineering specifications, power-plant offerings, exterior colors, interior schemes and a host of other fully customizable options.
The car utilizes an all-aluminum, tig welded monocoque chassis/space frame hybrid and is finished with high-quality composite body panels that given the SL-C a LeMans racecar-like look. The Superlight offers three Chevrolet-derived engine choices, all of which can be transplanted underneath a clamshell hood behind the passenger compartment: the base 6.2-liter 480-hp LS376 V-8, the 7.0-liter 505-hp LS7 V-8, or the 6.2-liter supercharged 638-hp LS9 V-8. The monstrous power created by each one of these engines is diverted to the rear wheels through a six-speed Ricardo manual transmission. With a curb weight of only 2,375 lbs. — nearly 1,000 pounds less than the Corvette ZR1 — performance is nothing short of extraordinary. With the 505-hp LS7, zero-to-60 mph takes 3.2 seconds, the quarter mile will pass in 10.6 seconds, and the top speed is a staggering 222 mph. To slow the car back to legal speeds, the SL-C uses 13-inch rotors in the front and 11.8-inch rotors in the back, both of which are pinched by six-piston calipers.
The majority of the Rapier Superlight is hand-built around the dimensions of the buyer; floor level, headroom clearance, steeling and pedal position, even the seat size… the entire car is built to the owners’ unique specifications. Many of the components start as a bare block of aluminum and spend the first 50-60 hours coming to life on a CNC machine. The suspension is by Indy-style pushrod actuated coil-over shock units, of which the rear ones are arranged longitudinally.
Rapier Automotive has incorporated superior components from around the globe to finish off the Superlight; a complete Aeromotive Fuel System, QA1 Aluminum Double Adjustable Shocks, CCW Wheels and Alpine, Pioneer, & Beltronics entertainment electronics.
A test drive can be arranged out of Boston with one of two shows cars, chassis number one and chassis number two. If after the test drive a buyer wishes to place a 50 percent deposit towards the purchase of a SL-C, which start at the comparatively reasonable price of $179,000, Rapier will pay for the entire trip to the New England-based city. Rapier Automotive offers a very competitive payment plan that will allow its customers to have the car completely paid off by the time the car is ready for delivery, approximately nine months later.
Besides the fourteen diverse exterior colors and hand-stitched leather and optional carbon fiber inserts for the interior, the Rapier also offers a plethora of sound system interfaces and wheel options that come in chrome, gloss, satin black or painted to match to the rest of the car. The DigiDash display puts all the pertinent information in the driver’s face and keeps track of an assortment of vital statistics and analytics; allowing the owner to do everything from optimizing the engine tuning to simply keeping track of his or her lap times.
For additional information, visit http://www.RAPIERCARS.com.