Car news
Kiwi Rodin Cars’ FZed single-seater blazes around Donington onington Park is no stranger to the screams of racing engines, but it recently echoed to the glorious howls of a naturally aspirated 675hp (503kW) Cosworth GPV8. Working up to 10,000rpm, the operatic notes from the V8 engine signalled the first laps on UK soil for the Rodin FZed single-seat track car. “It was great to be back in the Rodin FZed,” says Liam Lawson, Red Bull Junior in FIA Formula 2 and DTM. “I’d forgotten just how fast the car is but straight away I felt comfortable and realised how manageable the car is to drive close to the limit. I didn’t want to stop and nearly did more laps than I was allowed.” The Rodin FZed has been painstakingly developed by the team at Rodin Cars, led by CEO and founder David Dicker. “After years of development and thousands of kilometres of testing on Rodin’s own circuits in New Zealand, we’ve established the Rodin FZed as one of the fastest open-wheel race cars in the world,” says Dicker. “More than that, we’ve also ensured that it’s easy to run, giving amateur drivers a true taste of top-level, open-wheel motorsport.” Both Liam Lawson and Jamie Chadwick
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(Williams Formula 1 [F1] test driver) have tested the Rodin FZed and proclaimed it to be among the fastest open-wheel race cars in the world. Weighing just 609kg, the Rodin FZed is powered by a 3.8-litre Cosworth GPV8 engine that produces that aforemenetioned 675hp (503kW) at 9600rpm, and 490Nm at 7600rpm. To give the Rodin FZed’s outputs some perspective, its 826kW per tonne power-to-weight ratio embarrasses that of a Bugatti Chiron (553kW per tonne), or even a big sports bike such as a Yamaha R1 (735kW per tonne). Indeed, to find a more impressive powerto-weight ratio, you need to look at a current LMP1 racer or F1 car. Beyond the 0–160kph time of five seconds, or the 300kph top speed or, indeed, the blistering lap times, perhaps the Rodin FZed’s most impressive aspect is its reliability. Despite a screaming 10,000rpm ceiling, the engine is capable of 3100 miles (5000km) on 98-octane fuel before it requires a tear-down inspection. That is 3175 laps of Donington Park. In addition to outright performance, David Dicker and the team at Rodin Cars also sought to ensure that the Rodin FZed is enjoyable and exploitable at more moderate speeds, allowing customers to build
Top tech Caddy wins van award he new Volkswagen Caddy has won the Technology Award in the UK’s Company Van Today Awards 2021, and was praised for its pioneering combination of connectivity, safety, and all-round functionality. The fifth-generation Caddy offers a digital cockpit, voice control, wireless smartphone charging, and driver-assistance systems to enhance safety. The Caddy was highly commended in the
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Auto Channel Issue #38 August 2021
light-van category. Company Van Today editor Tom Webster said the latest Caddy’s range of advanced technology made it a light-van pioneer in terms of connectivity, safety, and all-round clever functionality. “The Caddy is one of the few light commercials that can match up to passenger cars in terms of the latestgeneration kit, and [it’s] great to see van drivers so well catered for.”
confidence and remove the fear factor in driving the ultimate track car. Lawson said: It’s always good to drive a car faster than you race.” He expected it would help him at the next round of the Formula 2 championship at Silverstone in July, where he finished seventh in the feature race. Liam Lawson’s Hitech GP team is a powerhouse operation, running teams in both Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships. Of the Rodin FZed, Hitech GP director Oliver Oakes says, “It’s a very cool car. It’s how real race cars should be. It’s exciting to see what David has put together into a customer car and being able to be involved with Rodin Cars and their test at Donington Park has been amazing. The quality of the Rodin FZed is clear to see and we look forward to working with Rodin Cars in the future.” The FZed is based on the Lotus T125, a nearF1-spec racer that Hethel unveiled back in 2011 with the promise of selling it to customers. It’s believed that only a handful were ever built and Rodin has decided to take one of them and create its own version. Prices start at a cool $650K — cheap for F1 performance.
