Elemental Motor Company

Elemental RP1

The RP1 is a lightweight, open-top, road-legal sports car produced by Elemental.[13] It was first revealed as a prototype at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2014[6] and a re-engineered production-ready model was presented in 2016.[2][7][14]

The original RP1 was powered by a longitudinally mounted 2.0l Ford EcoBoost engine,[15][3][16] paired with a semi stressed six-speed sequential Hewland gearbox.[5][17] Weighing 620 kg with 320 bhp, it had a power-to-weight ratio of 516 bhp/ton.[5][18] Later 2.3l engine variants with 375 bhp had a power-to-weight ratio of 604 bhp/ton.[19] The car accelerates to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds and has a top speed of 170 mph.[3] It features a carbon fibre tub that weighs 68 kg[19] and meets FIA racing standards. The car has steel subframes at both ends, allowing for easy replacement.[9] It has double wishbone suspension and inboard Nitron dampers at the front and rear.[13][8]

The Elemental RP1 has a weight distribution of 47/53 front to rear. It features a paddle shifting, pneumatic actuated gearbox controlled by the ECU.[8] The vehicle offers up to 400 kg of downforce at 150 mph, thanks to deep diffusers at the front and rear. The driving position is feet-up, similar to a single-seat racecar, which enhances the aerodynamics with front and rear diffusers.[9] Later variants of the RP1 use the 2.3l Ford Ecoboost engine with a revised output of 375 bhp producing 500 kg of downforce at 150 mph.[15] In collaboration with ex-McLaren Formula 1 aerodynamicist Mark Taylor,[20] the RP1 underwent enhancements to its bodywork using computational fluid dynamics, resulting in an increase in downforce to 1000 kg at 150 mph.[21][11]

The car was reviewed by Autocar in 2015[15][21][13] and deliveries started in 2017.[8]

Endurance racer David Pittard worked with Elemental as a test and development driver before returning to pro racing in 2017.[22]

In October 2023, the Elemental RP1[23][24] became an option on the Xbox 2021 racing game Forza Horizons 5.[25][26]