The RoadRazer might well be the closest thing to a Formula 1 car in road legal form. The brainchild of sports racing enthusiast and mechanical design engineer Mikkel Steen Pedersen, the RoadRazer was devised to rival the performance of many race cars. Here are some numbers: 300kg dry weight, 0-62mph in 3 seconds, and an estimated 150mph top speed. It's only estimated because Pedersen hasn't yet mustered the courage to test it. Impressed? Read on.

Mounted within the RoadRazer's carbon and aluminium honeycomb monocoque chassis is a 1300cc Suzuki engine taken straight out of the Hayabusa motorcycle. The already potent powerplant has been converted to dry sump lubrication (to prevent oil surge while cornering), which in the process has helped raise power to 180bhp.

Putting all that power to the ground requires state of the art technology. To that end, the RoadRazer employs a Quaife torque-sensing differential and a six-speed sequential gearbox (the clutch is only used during downshifts), activated by steering wheel mounted paddles.

An aluminium double-wishbone suspension with push-rod operated in-board adjustable dampers connects 7x17-inch OZ Superleggera wheels shod with 215/50 R17 tyres to the road, ensuring supreme roadholding further enhanced by a low centre of gravity.

The car's brakes feature an adjustable bias for front and rear balance, and were developed specifically to scrub off speed quickly. Ample 320mm discs, combined with six-piston callipers provide stopping power at the front, with 282mm discs fitted with two-piston callipers at the rear.

No doubt you're thinking all this performance comes at a price, but you needn't lose all usability. While the overall shape of the RoadRazer was developed to accentuate negative lift, the 10cm raised nose also provides greater ground clearance for better real-life handling situations, such as parking.

The car is also fitted with a passenger seat, located just behind the driver. But occupants will need to place their legs on either side of the driver seat. Not ideal for any type of distance travel.

“The car was designed for extreme sports car enthusiasts,” says Pedersen. “But we thought it was important to fit the car with two seats to improve practicality. It's not just a track car.”

A turn-key RoadRazer starts at around £35,000 and requires a licence under SVA. If you fancy a project, Pedersen will ship you a kit for around £20,000. But you'll need to find a donor Hayabusa engine.

Eric Gallina - 2 Feb 2007