This month’s Motorexpo at London’s Canary Wharf saw the reveal of a new British-built roadster based around GM’s Kappa platform, which underpins cars like the Opel GT, Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice. The new roadster is called the Breckland Beira and unlike its GM siblings the UK-special is powered by a 400hp 6.0L LS2 V8 engine.

Tipping the scales at some 1,400kg, the Beira's power-to-weight ratio guarantees strong performance, with the promise of a sub-five second sprint to 62mph, coupled with tremendous torque and a governed top speed of 155mph.

The Beira is designed to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas as well as petrol. This not only helps to reduce running costs and emissions, but gives the car a range of 700 miles. The fully independent suspension was entirely re-engineered by Breckland in association with KW Suspension, with uprated springs, dampers and bushes, plus thicker anti-roll bars front and rear.

Stopping power is provided by 325mm ventilated discs on all four corners, the fronts being grasped by six-pot calipers, with four-pot at the rear.

The new Beira will be available in both left and right-hand-drive configurations and will go on sale in Europe this November with a price tag of £55,000 ($108,000).

Breckland Beira V8 roadster