(from Marcos Press Release)
Marcos Engineering Ltd ("Marcos") is pleased to announce the new Marcos
TSO roadcar – making its debut at the Sunday Times Motorshow at the
National Exhibition Centre In Birmingham. This two seat open top sports
car delivers an unprecedented level of power, precision and style in the
company’s 45-year sportscar history.
From the outset, the new management and engineering team at Marcos set
out to build a reliable, easily drivable two-seater, yet instil the TSO
with many of the attributes found in Marcos racing cars. This has
yielded a road car with exceptional performance and agility while also
being comfortable in daily driving and at home in any environment.
The resulting "TSO" or "Omologato" is derived from its racing blood line
and as such delivers an awe inspiring 400 horsepower in a two seat
roadcar that weighs just 1090kg. These impressive power to weight
figures enable it to accelerate to 60 mph in just 4 seconds and to
100mph in just 9 seconds. Top speed is estimated to be over 185 mph.
Power is provided by a 5.7 Litre V8 Engine derived from the same GM
powerplant used in Marcos and Corvette racing cars worldwide. This
Aluminium Alloy block and head design is extremely reliable and
lightweight. The TSO R/T benefits from intake and valve train
enhancements to increase useable horsepower without sacrificing
drivability or fuel economy.
The TSO provides driving agility and impressive road holding due to
extensive chassis development and testing under a partnership with
Prodrive – a recognised leader in chassis dynamics, vehicle dynamic
systems and powertrains. Currently, Prodrive has six World Rally titles
and five British Touring Car Championships to their name.
The design team was driven to capture some lines from the 45-year
winning history of the brand, yet take the design forward in precision,
quality and style. Designed by Damian McTaggart, formerly the designer
of TVR’s Cerbera, Tuscan and T350, the TSO’s lines are exceptionally
clean yet aggressive. The design effort coupled classic sculpting
techniques for real-time feedback with state of the art CAD techniques
for precision and speed.
The entry level TSO is priced at £39,950 and delivers 350HP with a
5-speed transmission and 17 inch wheels. The TSO R/T is priced at
£44,950 and produces 400HP with a 6-speed transmission, sports
suspension package and18 inch rear wheels.
"The TSO marks the return of the sharp, affordable, high performance V8
British sports car ", said Tony Stelliga, Chairman of Marcos
Engineering." We believe it hits a gap in the marketplace that stirs the
soul of motoring enthusiasts and are thrilled with the result".
Marcos Engineering is also pleased to announce it will be expanding
operations into their own new 6,000 square foot facility at Prodrive’s
Kenilworth site in Warwickshire. This facility provides a 1.5 mile high
performance circuit and one of the few split low grip surfaces in the UK
capable of simulating driving under slippery road conditions.
