At long last: this is the 600bhp V8-powered Ginetta Akula, and just 20 will be made

No, this isn’t a fictional car from Ridge Racer. Five years on from previewing a concept, Ginetta is all set to put 20 units of its Akula road car into production, at a cost of over £330,000 a pop. But before you bat your attention elsewhere, you might want to hear a few more details about this sub-1.2-tonne road-legal track toy that pinches aero-focused design cues from Ginetta’s LMP1 racer.

The 6.4-litre, naturally aspirated V8 sends around 600bhp and 494lb ft to the rear axle, which means 0-62mph in 2.9s. It’ll top out at 180mph and sit slap bang in the middle of the Akula’s wild, all-carbon body. There’s a perfect 50-50 weight distribution, too.

More details, you say? You’ll have a choice between a triple-plate six-speed manual or a dual-clutch seven-speed auto, with the power channelled through a limited-slip differential to the rear wheels and stopped again by a set of ventilated steel discs. And, yes, you will get the option of carbon ceramics if you so wish for even more braking power.

The suspension has been created using a two-way adjustable, pushrod-actuated unit and longer-than-usual wishbones to offer a wider scope for configuration and operational range. Combined with the Pirelli P Zero rubber, it should be good fun. Particularly since brand boss Lawrence Tomlinson – who won the 2006 Le Mans GT2 class, and knows a thing or two about racing – has been heavily involved in its development process.

Tomlinson said: “During the twenty years I have owned Ginetta, there have been countless highlights. None, though, surpass the launch of the Akula today. While our new supercar represents a very different direction for Ginetta, it also embodies our motorsport engineering and driver-focused values to the highest possible standards.”

And on face value at least, that shows. The flat floor, two-door coupe has been extensively wind tunnel tested, featuring a full suite of cut-throat splitters to divert air toward that slanted rear wing. The aerodynamicists have been given free rein to chisel the rear end as they so wish too, since most of the axle is void of any heavy components.

It’s the same philosophy pretty much everywhere you look. Most of the weight is contained between the axles, leaving extra gaps between the shell and body to work in a few more indentations and inlets. Yes, it’s been shaped by science and maths, but will you really care if it sets your pants on fire when it needs to?

And despite the aggressive styling, the Akula is still a road car. It means there’s a 100-litre fuel tank providing 450 miles of range, and a boot with enough space for a few spare trousers and sandwiches.

The carbon monocoque structure may have pads attached in place of conventional seats and a steel roll cage, but there’s a multi-function steering wheel, an infotainment touchscreen and even cupholders inside. So we’re expecting the Akula to be as unfazed by a circuit of the M25 as it should Spa Francorchamps.

What do we reckon, readers: was Ginetta’s long-overdue road car worth the wait?