This year’s Geneva International Motor Show was chock-full of debuts, both amazing, and terrible, but it also offered plenty of weirdness as well. Case in point - the Eadon Green Zeclat, a British-born, French-inspired sports car with all-American underpinnings. So what exactly is going on here?
Continue reading to learn more about the Eadon Green Zeclat.
Eadon Green Zeclat
Eadon Green is a high-end boutique custom carmaker based out of the U.K. Although it has a relatively short history attached to its resume, the company jumped onto the world stage just last year with the debut of the Black Cuillin at the Geneva International Motor Show.
Based on the Rolls-Royce Wraith, the Black Cuillin stunned audiences with its retro good looks and modern underpinnings, finding a nice balance between new and old. Unfortunately, Eadon Green declared it as a one-off that would never see full-time production, disappointing well-heeled buyers looking to add the stylish two-door to their collection.
Luckily, there’s a new model on the table. It’s called the Zeclat, and this time around, it’s a whole lot faster. Not only that, but you might even be able to buy one, if you’ve got the bank to back it.
However, before we get into the performance side of things, lets delve into what makes this thing truly special - the styling. Like the Black Cuillin, the Zeclat receives one very unusual old-school aesthetic, with a wide, low stance, long, curving fender lines, and an extended, pointed tail.
For those well versed in automotive history, the look should conjure one word - elegance. That’s because the Zeclat was inspired by the great French coach builders of the ‘30s, with Eadon Green acknowledging names like Figoni & Falaschi, Bugatti, Chapron, and PourTout as major influences in the final design.
You could call it Art Deco if you like, something similar to the likes of the Morgan Aero 8.
Even the paint job is a bit out there. The example you see pictured here is draped in a hue dubbed “petrol,” with a shimmering glint that shades between blue and purple depending on the angle and the lighting.
Eadon Green is offering six different wheel designs to buyers, each of which is wrapped in Michelin pilot Super Sport run-flat summer tires. Winter tires are also offered, while custom wheel designs are available upon request.
Moving into the cabin, the Zeclat is replete in high-end features. Both heating and cooling features are offered for the seats, with carbon fiber, piano-black lacquer, and polished aluminum making the materials.
The hand-stitched leather upholstery is of particular importance to the brand, as explained on its website: “Eadon Green are sticklers when it comes to leather,” the automaker states. “Our interiors are tailored using hides from Bridge of Weir Leather, a fine Scottish company established in 1905, who tan only the finest hides, sourced from the best British heritage breeds.”
Upholstery colors include a variety of standard hues, but buyers can get theirs in a custom color if desired. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included in the infotainment spec.
While the styling and interior options might suggest the easy cruising nature of an old-time classic, the Zeclat is actually very, very fast.
The body is made from lightweight carbon fiber, and comes punctuated by a variety of vents and cooling elements for the engine, brakes, and transmission. It’ll even make some usable downforce at speed, and the company reports it intends on putting the Zeclat into the wind tunnel for some proper aero tweaks in the future.
Under the long, flat hood line lies a 6.2-liter V-8 pumping out a whomping 460 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, all of which arrives free of any kind of power adder. Yep, ditch the turbos and superchargers and hybrid systems on this one - it’s all atmosphere.
Properly motivated, the Zeclat will rage up to 60 mph in a mere 3.6 seconds. If you’re not in the mood for rage, you could also simply cruise, and the active fuel management system will deactivate four of the cylinders for extra mpg.
Routing the output to the rear is an eight-speed automatic gearbox. There’s also a seven-speed manual transmission with active rev matching and automatic throttle blips as a no-cost option.
The bones of the machine consist of an aluminum frame and carbon-nano-composite panels, which, in conjunction with the unique packaging of the transaxle, give the Zeclat a near 50/50 front-to-back weight distribution.
Helping it corner is Magnetic Selective Suspension Control as standard, with short/long arm aluminum double wishbones in the corners. A dry-sump lubrication system keeps the engine purring even when slinging through the corners.
Throwing the anchor are standard steel brakes from Brembo, with 14.6-inch rotors in front and 14.4-inch rotors in the rear. The calipers are finished in black as standard, but you can also get them in a red, blue, or yellow finish for a little extra outlay. Eadon Green is also offering custom colors, if desired.
The optional performance package tosses in new suspension pieces and upgraded brakes, with 15.5-inch carbon ceramic discs in front and 15.3-inch carbon discs in the rear.
Multiple drive modes help to dial in the experience, ranging between Sport mode for spirited driving, and Tour mode for a more relaxed demeanor. There are five driving modes total, each of which performs adjustments to the steering, throttle response, and electronic traction control.
Final touches include live data recording if you want to head to the track, as well as a heads-up display and digital readout that measures the cornering forces.
If all that sounds a little very, well, it should. You see, the Eadon Green Zeclat bases its interior spec, infotainment gear, and oily bits on the Chevrolet C7 Corvette Grand Sport. The 6.2-liter under the hood is the highly celebrated Chevrolet LT1, while that cabin layout is obviously all-‘Vette, plus some nicer materials.
According to an interview with familiar Eadon Green founder Felix Eaton says the company could make as many as 25 units annually for the Zeclat. If all 25 are indeed snatched up, pricing would be set at around 550,000 pounds ($776,127 at current exchange rates, 03/22/2018), although it could jump to 1,000,000 pounds ($1,411,140 at current exchange rates) if production is limited to just five units total.
Read our full review on the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport.
Read more Geneva Motor Show news.