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Melling Sports Cars has unveiled its new £45,000 Wildcat V8 two-seater. The company aims to deliver the first Wildcat production cars to the UK buyers from its factory in Rochdale, Lancashire, by the end of the year.

The Wildcat, which is described by creator Al Melling as “the car the TVR Griffith should have been” will also be made in a new factory in Las Vegas.Transatlantic deliveries should begin next spring. When both plants are working, volume is planned at 15 to 20 cars a month. Read the full article

Looks interesting and looks very much like the TVR it is inspired by. Hope it does well, but for £45k the rear treatment with the tiny lights dotted around a huge plastic/fibreglass rear end looks a bit kit car to me...

Did Al Melling not give sneak shots of a previous model with a similar name some years ago, that Autocar made a feature of?

I hope this one gets to market. The previous one from memory would not have worked on UK roads. From what I can remember it was called something like Hellcat and would frighten small children and OAP's at twenty paces.

Lets face it he knows a thing or two about engines. I'm sure Peter Wheeler tested the AJP8 engine in the Tuscan Race Series when Mr. Sutcliffe was racing them.

£45k and a live rear axle... wow, that's advanced. When will they learn? Even a DeDion tube thingy would be a better option. 

Never mind the car, what about those 'press' shots?!! Presumably, that's Mr.Al Melling and his Missus (Tracy?) in the snaps. I particularly like the inclusion of the bloke strolling past, and the big 'To Let' signs in the background. Classic!

Is the 1200bhp+ Hellcat still planned? This looks very much like a TVR, Tamora front and Griffith rear.

I know they have deliberately left it plain for customers to "customise", but this car is too plain for a £45k car, no matter how well it drives. 

The patriotic part of me wants to see this car do well, but there are far more interesting vehicles out there for the money.

This car is another Melling Pipe Dream never to make it to production.

Where's the Melling Hellcat with its Melling designed V10 Aluminium Billet Engine.

What Happend to the Norton V8 Superbike.

Check out his web site on all his wonderful work!!  www.mcdeng.co.uk

The only person to left to believe in this man is Steve Cropley.

Yup, looks like a pumped up TVR, and with 460bhp, hopefully go like a pumped up TVR, which should be quite an experience.  

Still looking forward to the Hellcat.  THAT even looked mellifluos.... Hmmmm, the Melling Mellifluos.....
 

It may be my poor, old eyes failing me...but it doesn't appear to have any form of roof (the boot hinges are right behind the seats).  Melling really doesn't understand how to engineer a useable road car, does he?  I seem to remember the Hotter-than-Hellcat wasn't going to have air-con because he wanted to "keep it pure".  Hmm, the heat soak from a 1000+bhp engine and no air-con - very pure!

Steve Cropley really needs to learn how to be more critical - not negative, just more of a realist.

WOW! What a car. It's about time the thoroughbred British sportscar was back. Just hope that it sounds right! As for the proportions, it looks like they have nailed the awkward tall windscreen look of the Griff. It looks like a hot rod!

 Just read the review in Autocar. £45k for F**k all!

 

Read it yourself and go and buy something else.