In 2013, Jim Glickenhaus, the man who built the incredible Ferrari-based P4/5 supercar, set out to develop a new vehicle that would set new benchmarks on both the road and the race track. Known as the SCG 003, Glickenhaus' new supercar become a reality in 2015, when Jim raced it at the Nurburgring, but the project has yet to be finalized. With the 003 now fully capable to compete in an FIA event, Glickenhaus is working to finalize two road-going versions, one of which will be sold in the U.S. as a kit car.

According to Road and Track, the SCG 003 will spawn two more iterations besides the race-spec car that lapped the "Green Hell." The track-only model will be mirrored by a 003S (S for Stradale) with a more luxurious interior and a toned-down aerodynamic package, while a 003CS (CS for Competizione Stradale) will sit in between as a road-legal version of the race car. The latter will share almost every feature with the car raced at Nurburgring, but receive additional side reflectors, a third brake light, and a different engine.

Still a prototype as of this writing, the 003CS will reportedly get a 4.4-liter V-8 instead of the 3.5-liter V-6 that Glickenhaus sourced from Honda for racing. Prepped for SCG by Manifattura Automobili Torino, the twin-turbo V-8 will pump out some 800 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, and more importantly, it will enable the 003CS meet new-car emissions requirements. Speaking of which, the 003CS will be sold in the U.S. as a kit car only. The reason behind this decision is that kit cars are exempt from U.S. airbag and crash-test requirements. Being titled as a home-built vehicle, the 003CS should be legal to register in all 50 states.

You're probably wondering how customers will build such a comprehensive carbon-fiber kit car by themselves. Well, they don't have have to. Jim Glickenhaus says that SCG will send a mechanic "on a plane to your shop and help you, take three days, and put the thing together." Pretty cool, huh?

What's more, the SCG 003CS will be able to do exactly what Glickenhaus wanted to achieve when he first penned the project: customers will be able to drive it on public roads to the track, swap tires (and the engine for FIA events), and then compete against other full-fledged race cars. Once the event is over, the road tires go back on the car, making it street-legal again. How much is all this fun going to cost? We don't know yet, but Jim should reveal more information as soon as the 003CS is ready to go into production.

Why it Matters

It's a bit disappointing that Glickenhaus isn't able to deliver the road-going 003CS without its customers having to build it, but today's strict regulations means that supercars too are subject to all sorts of safety requirements. These usually make cars heavier and more expensive, and while the latter won't be an issue with hypercar collectors, the former could decrease the 003CS's performance, not to mention make it significantly different than the race car. And given that SCG wants its customers to be able to race it with just a tire and engine swap, the added safety features would defeat that purpose. All told, having to build (or having someone else to it for you) your own 003CS is a small price to pay if you want a road-legal race car that you can take to Laguna Seca and even race it in FIA events on a regular basis.

2016 SCG 003

Read our full review on the 2016 SCG 003 here.