Win a dashcam

Ginetta G50
Ginetta G50 in a GT4 series race at Spa Francorchamps
Overview
Manufacturer	Ginetta Cars
Production	2008-2014
Assembly	Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Designer	Lawrence Tomlinson
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupé
Layout	Front-engine, RWD
Related	Ginetta G55
Powertrain
Engine	G50: Ford Duratec 3.5 litre V6, 300 hp (224 kW; 304 PS) or 340 hp (254 kW; 345 PS) (dependent on spec) G50 GT4: Ford Duratec 3.7 litre V6, 355 hp (265 kW; 360 PS) G50Z: Zytek ZG348 3.4 litre V8, 490 hp (365 kW; 497 PS)
Transmission	Quaife six-speed sequential
Dimensions
Kerb weight	945 kg (2,083 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ginetta G20 (Race and Road versions
Successor	Ginetta G55 (Race version) Ginetta G60 (Road Version)

The Ginetta G50 is a specialist GT4 class-developed racing car, designed by Ginetta Cars.

A road version of the car was planned, but did not enter wide-scale production; instead, the smaller Ginetta G40 was launched.

Ginetta celebrated their 50th anniversary in great style with a brand new model. Announced late in 2007, the all new G50 is both thoroughly modern and yet still incorporates many of the style cues of the Ginetta road and racing cars that were so successful in the past 50 years. Today owned by Lawrence Tomlinson's LNT Automotive, Ginetta followed their familiar recipe by developing both a road and racing version of the G50.

Like its predecessors and siblings, the G50 is based around a spaceframe chassis that combines lightweight and rigidity. Power comes from a 3.5 litre Ford V6 engine, which produces a healthy 300 bhp. Mounted just behind the front axle, it is bolted to a Quaife six speed sequential gearbox, which drives the rear wheels. A composite coupe body, clearly inspired by the company's most successful model, the G4 of the early 1960s, completes the G50.

In the purpose built factory in Leeds, England, the first G50s were assembled early in 2008. Three different versions were available; the road car, the 'Cup' racing car and the closely related GT4 spec machine, intended for international racing. Retailing at £35,000 the G50 Cup car sold out before the season started. The slightly more expensive GT4 spec machine also proved to be a hit in the salesroom as well as on the track. All over Europe the car proved to be very competitive against formidable advisaries.

In the spring of 2008, the first road car surfaced. Apart from a proper interior and license plates, there is little to distinguish it from the competition machine. The basic street car uses the same Ford V6 engine, while a Zytek V8 engined version is under development. Very similar to the successful competition engine, the street spec V8 is expected to deliver a staggering 520 bhp. Combined with a kerb weight of around 800 kg, it promises to be one of the fastest production cars.

Featured is the prototype of the G50 road car, which was driven up the Goodwood hill in the Supercar Run during the 2008 Festival of Speed.

Development

In late 2007, in what he later described as his Victor Kiam moment,Leeds-based businessman Lawrence Tomlinson bought Ginetta Cars from the group of enthusiasts, who themselves had bought it out of administration.

The G50 was developed to celebrate 50 year of production of Ginetta Cars. With base specifications penned by trained engineer Tomlinson, the car was developed in under six months.

Racing

Launched in 2008, the G50 was awarded Autosport National Car of the Year in its first year. With its own Ginetta GT Supercup one-make series, the G50 has also been undefeated GT4 class championship winner in every season of British GT Championship, and won the GT4 European Cup in 2009, beating Aston Martin, BMW and Porsche.

As a result, Ginetta Cars won "Small Business of the Year" from the Motorsport Industry Association in 2008, and in 2009 Tomlinson was nominated by the MIA for the "Outstanding Contribution to Motorsport" award.

Road car

The first Ginetta G50 road-registered car was shown in April 2008, and then took part in the Silverstone Supercar Tour. It features the same base set-up as the race car, with a proposed development of a V8 model with 520 brake horsepower (390 kW). Retail prices were estimated at starting from £45,000 ($72,549) for the V6, and £100,000 ($161,220) for the V8. However, due to the economic recession, Ginetta indefinitely shelved plans for general production of the G50, instead opting to produce the smaller, cheaper Ginetta G40.

G50 EV Prototype

In 2009, Ginetta, in conjunction with Zytek, built an electric version of the G50 as the Ginetta G50 EV Prototype. The car was fitted with a rear-mounted 90 kW (122 PS; 121 hp) electric motor, with the regular petrol engine being removed. Ginetta gave an estimated range of between 150 and 250 miles. In November, former Formula 1 World Champion John Surtees drove the prototype through the Channel Tunnel, with the car becoming the first production-specification car to be driven through the tunnel. However, production was cancelled following the company's failure to secure a government grant for the project.

G50Z GT3

A GT3 specification car was developed in 2009 featuring a 4.0 Zytek V8 which was then down graded to a 3.4L v8 when racing in GT Asia by Craft Racing. The car was intended to challenge for outright GT victories instead of GT4 class victories.