Today we received an interesting little press release in our mailbox announcing auto manufacturing newcomer FortuneSport and their intent to produce high-performance, ultra-lightweight sports cars in short order. They claim the FortuneSport Rt.R, a race spec, 515 HP V8-powered, semi-monocoque, mid-engine sports car will be on sale this fall to the tune of $200,000. By late 2010, a street version, dubbed the FortuneSport Rt.S, will be offered to the public in 350 HP trim for the price of $85,000. Both cars are also slated to come in at under 2,000 lbs. Big talk, but also very intriguing. According to the press release, the owner and convenient name-haver, Teritius Fortune, believes all of the gadgetry being loaded into cars these days detracts from the joy of driving. The exotic-looking cars being planned are small, reaching a height of only 42 inches, and very light — under 2,000 lbs. While FortuneSport claims no affiliation with Panoz, the niche car builder will be assembling the cars for FortuneSport at its Hoschton, Georgia facility. If this turns out to be for real, it's pretty exciting, but as it stands now, a render and a press release is a long way from a fly-weight road car.
FORTUNESPORT RELEASES DETAILS ON THE RT.S[Source: FortuneSport Vehicle Engineering Systems, LLC]23 July 2008 - Gwinnett County, Georgia - FortuneSport Vehicle
Engineering Systems, LLC (FortuneSport) today confirmed the launch of
their first production sports car, the Rt.S; a sub-2,000 pound, 350
horsepower sports coupe. Inspired by Group C prototypes, the chassis of
this road and track car will feature an aluminum semi-monocoque,
integral steel roll cage, a mid-mounted V8, and a pushrod suspension
system. Key weight-saving features are full composite bodywork, seats
integrated into the chassis, and rolling gear supplied by BBS. The
power to weight ratio of 5.1 lbs per bhp translates into a road car
capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in 4 seconds and a top speed of
175mph. The target price is $85,000.Penned by Turkish newcomer Emre Husmen, the Rt.S is a vision of sports
cars in the year 2035. Characterized by short overhangs and a long
wheelbase, the overall length of the car is 164 inches. Clever
packaging means the height of the vehicle is 42 inches, while retaining
enough head room to comfortably fit a 6-foot 4-inch passenger.Teritius Fortune, Owner of FortuneSport, said, "FortuneSport believes
that the pleasure of driving is not in the electronics and sixteen
speaker stereo systems, but in the driving itself. Especially given the
current green movement, the best way to engage the driver was to
substantially reduce vehicle mass. With the large number of
grand-tourers on the market, we used this philosophy to build a true
sports car."The Rt.S is scheduled for a launch in Late 2010 as a 2011 model. A
track-only version will be launched late this fall in conjunction with
FortuneSport's Rt.R Development Program. Visually similar to the Rt.S,
the Rt.R will feature a 510bhp engine and a curb weight of 1,650 pounds.
To be assembled by the Panoz Group, the Rt.R will be capable of running
in a number of amateur track events, as well as FortuneSport-branded
events held in conjunction with the Skip Barber Racing Schools. The
Rt.R requires a security deposit of $200,000.
