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The demise of the Aussie supercar?

The demise of the Aussie supercar?

Kenneth Hall December 14th, 2006 Kenneth Hall By Kenneth Hall Author December 14th, 2006
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December 31st, 1969 The Australian built Joss supercar prototype is on sale for only $180,000, a fraction of the $2m+ it cost to build. The designer, builder and owner of the Joss supercar, Matt Thomas, has said he has exhausted all avenues to build a production model in Australia and is selling off the prototype to raise money and look at possible production partners in Europe. Australia's too small a market to develop and build a half-million dollar supercar, so Thomas will move to Europe and build a Le Mans racing version of the Joss, in the hope it will get him the backing he needs, reports Australia's Drive. The Joss prototype weighs just under a ton, and brandishes a 6.1L V8 that can hit 62mph in just 3.7 seconds. A production model would complete the same benchmark in around three seconds and has an estimated top speed of 320km/h. While the price is a bargain, the Joss prototype has its shortcomings - it doesn’t meet Australian design standards and therefore is not road-legal. Europe is home to many small supercar manufacturing outfits, but they're also facing tough times as Ferrari and Lamborghini continue to improve their models and offer class-leading reliability.
joss2.jpg

joss2.jpg

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The Australian built Joss supercar prototype is on sale for only $180,000, a fraction of the $2m+ it cost to build. The designer, builder and owner of the Joss supercar, Matt Thomas, has said he has exhausted all avenues to build a production model in Australia and is selling off the prototype to raise money and look at possible production partners in Europe.

Australia's too small a market to develop and build a half-million dollar supercar, so Thomas will move to Europe and build a Le Mans racing version of the Joss, in the hope it will get him the backing he needs, reports Australia's Drive. The Joss prototype weighs just under a ton, and brandishes a 6.1L V8 that can hit 62mph in just 3.7 seconds. A production model would complete the same benchmark in around three seconds and has an estimated top speed of 320km/h. While the price is a bargain, the Joss prototype has its shortcomings - it doesn’t meet Australian design standards and therefore is not road-legal.

Europe is home to many small supercar manufacturing outfits, but they're also facing tough times as Ferrari and Lamborghini continue to improve their models and offer class-leading reliability.

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Comments (4 total)

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  1. By surok #1, Posted: 12/14/2006

    the first thing i thought when i saw that pic was. thats the same blue as the R390 GT1...... also, whats is its top speed. and. is it road legal?>,

  2. By admin #2, Posted: 12/14/2006

    Top speed is estimated at 320km/h and it does the 1/4 mile in 11.9.
    I believe the final production car was supposed to be road legal, but this prototype is not.

  3. By beentheredonethat #3, Posted: 12/20/2006

    Doesn't surprise me one bit in this, ignorant, unsupportive of new development, and indigenous technology/industrial development backwater that is the blue collar labourer’s paradise of Australia.

  4. By Online Deals #4, Posted: 6/22/2007

    The first thing I thought of when I saw the pictures you have posted on here was that someone had made a slightly more futuristic version of the Chevy Corvette. It seems sad to me that the car will have to be sold off at a fraction of the cost it took to make the car just so he can try to design another car somewhere else. But, I guess, that is often the way that such business ventures can end. I’m sure that some collector will buy the car even if it isn’t street legal just so they can have it in their collection. Besides, the car could increase in value. I would tend to think that this would be especially true if the car’s designer, Matt Thomas, manages to get another car in production in Europe. Oh well, I could never afford the price tag.

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