Back in 2007 when 26-year old Oliver Ashley unveiled the K-1 Attack Roadster, he made a promise: "I will be back." Today, much like Arnold Schwarzenegger, he has kept his promise. He has recently come back with details on the production version of his stunning sports car. We say stunning because, well it is, but also because of all of the hard work, dedication, and passion Ashley put into his vehicle. And after all of that plus £70,000 and 4,000 hours of hard work, Ashley has finally received his prize.
The K-1 Attack gets a 250bhp Honda Civic Type R 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox, installed midships, and ultra taut race-bred suspension. It will include formidable Brembo braking, carbon fiber bodywork, a full bespoke leather/Alcantara cockpit, and £2,000 Asanti wheels.
“I have actually assembled the car four times since starting the project”, said Oliver. “I had an original concept firmly in mind, and the design and specification evolved as I went along by building the car, checking the fit of every new component, dis-assembling, making modifications and so on, until I was happy with every element.”
So what is he going to do with the car now? "I’ve actually been offered a lot of money to sell it, but I plan to enjoy it for a year or so, and after that? Well, building a speedboat from scratch could be fun."
Yes, Ashley, that would be fun. And seeing the fruits of that labor when it is complete will be much more fun for us, too.
Press release after the jump.
Press release
To some, a car is simply functional, to others a passion, but to 26-year old Oliver Ashley, four-wheel fever knows no bounds.
Since 2007 Oliver, a senior technical manager for a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Bristol, has been building a car from the ground up, forsaking a normal social life to fulfil his dream of creating a truly unique automotive masterpiece.
The K1 Attack roadster, on which Oliver’s car is based, is born of a small Slovakian producer, and has been on the hardcore enthusiast’s radar across the globe since the first cars appeared some years back. Progress to market has been slow, which prompted Oliver to take matters into his own hands.
It started with an approach to Swindon-based mobile entertainment specialists, Clarion, who Oliver suggested might like to showcase its award-winning audio, multimedia and satellite navigation equipment in his project.
Over three years later, after 4,000 hours of spare time toil, patience, immense skill, and an almost obsessive drive for perfection - not to mention £70,000 of his hard-earned cash and savings - Oliver’s unique K1 Attack sportscar is wowing crowds at shows across the country.
Starting with a basic chassis, some body panels and a variety of components, delivered in a box from the Slovakian factory in 2006, Oliver set to in his garage, creating and building his dream car in stages.
“I have actually assembled the car four times since starting the project”, said Oliver. “I had an original concept firmly in mind, and the design and specification evolved as I went along by building the car, checking the fit of every new component, dis-assembling, making modifications and so on, until I was happy with every element.”
Oliver’s parts list, created as the build progressed, included a whole host of one-off items specially produced for the car - which he designed and had made, all echoing his fanatical desire for individuality and quality. These include linear actuators and mechanisms for opening the driver & passenger doors by remote control, carbon fibre bodywork and interior detailing, colour-coded cabling, polished hoses and pipework, chromed suspension and a full bespoke leather/Alcantara cockpit, detailed with exquisite design and styling touches.
But as Oliver explains, attention to detail doesn’t come cheap: “For example, I chose Asanti wheels from the USA, at £2,000 each, because they are just the greatest. I spent many thousands of pounds more on the composite bodywork styling, hand-crafted seats and interior, suspension, lighting, designing and engineering a right-hand drive conversion, even chroming hundreds of nuts and bolts…the list is endless.”
Along with Clarion, which has supported Oliver from the outset with a dashboard delight of of state-of-the-art audio and DVD, amplifiers, ‘speakers, hard drive navigation, and a rear reversing camera system, other major brands have assisted in the build, including MOMO, which dipped into its treasure chest of interior styling products to add Italian flair to Oliver’s creation, and Yokohama, whose legendary high-performance tyres now grace the car.
With a 250bhp Honda Civic Type R 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox installed midships, ultra taut race-bred suspension and formidable Brembo braking, the car’s performance is more than a match for its stunning looks, which are capped with a sumptuous Lamborghini pearl white paint finish.
Amidst all the attention, Oliver is frequently asked what he’ll do now the car is finished. “I’ve actually been offered a lot of money to sell it but I plan to enjoy it for a year or so, and after that? Well, building a speedboat from scratch could be fun,” he mused, suggesting this isn’t the last we’ll hear of the West Country wizard.
Vehicle Specification
Vehicle & Bodywork
Steel tubular K1 Attack chassis coated in graphite metallic powder coat with full custom right-hand drive conversion.
Composite body, finished in Lamborghini balloon white pearl, with graphite detailin
Carbon fibre front and rear valences
Bespoke carbon fibre bonnet pods
Bespoke rear tailgate with boot and spoiler assembly
Bespoke carbon fibre one-piece roof & windows
Bespoke two-piece roof with mohair panels for “get me home” roof
Engine/ Transmission
246bhp Honda Civic type R Ep3 engine 2-litre with 6-speed manual Honda type R gearbox
Hondata Kpro ECU, custom-mapped and tuned
Custom side HKS inlet air intake
Colour coded / polished hoses and pipe work
Full Samco Urban Camo hose kit
Two light weight Powervamp racing batteries in custom framework at front of chassis
Supercharger conversion to be fitted 2010
Braking
Front: Brembo Gran Turismo vented & cross-drilled discs and calipers
Rear: Brembo DC5 vented & cross-drilled discs and calipers with combined hand brake mechanism
Tilton Brake bias valve
Wheels & Wheels
Bespoke Asanti 144 wheels 19” x 8.5 front; 19” x 10 rear
Super car killer? Do you hear what you say? I don’t think so. I can;t find any reason why should I love this car even if though I’m a fan of the classic roadster.
Posted on
02.10.2011 @ 23:34