Low-cost Chevron racer revealed

The first all-new Chevron racing car for 32 years is set to hit the tracks this year.

Chevron Racing Cars has launched the GR8, a mid-engined competition coupé with a Cosworth YD 2-litre engine. A one-make series has been created for the car, but it will also be eligible for the British GT Championship and Britcar.

The cars are designed to provide a low-cost racing series and are priced at £49,500 plus VAT. Costs can be further reduced by running two drivers, as all the meetings in the GR8 Challenge include this option.

“Our concept has been to produce a car appropriate to the belt-tightening era,” said Helen Bashford-Malkie, director of Chevron Racing Cars.

Ray Grimes, the sporting director for the series and a Ferrari chief instructor for the past 10 years, is keen to fill a hole in the market. “The GR8 championship is for gentlemen racers, not so much for pro-drivers, semi-pros or instructors,” he said. “Lots of people are looking for Porsche or Ferrari performance, but they don’t want to be racing against young hotshoes who are trying to make a career for themselves, or racers who’ll fire into the side of them just to try and get past. I think many of the gentlemen racers are getting disillusioned by competing against these guys.”

Twenty cars will be built, with three already sold. Expansion outside Britain for 2011 is planned, with franchised championships in countries such as Sweden, Italy, America and the United Arab Emirates.

Chevron founder Derek Bennett died in a hang-glider accident in 1978, which effectively brought the company’s heyday to an end.