Makes › Ascari › Ecosse · Specialist manufacturer · 1998–1999 Ultra Rare
Ascari
Ecosse
BMW V8 sports car from Ascari's early production.
Photo: MrWalkr · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 17 Built
- Years
- 1998–1999
- Engine
- Mid-mounted BMW V8 tuned by Hartge · 4,400 cc / 4.4 LFactory: 4.4 L
- Power
- 227 kW / 308 PSFactory: 304 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 322 km/hFactory: 200 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Lee Noble
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Ecosse was the first road car of the small British maker Ascari, a mid-engined, BMW-powered sports car derived from the 1995 FGT concept. It was built in very small numbers and was meant as a fully equipped road car rather than a numberplated racer.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionbuilt | 171,2 | Factory production | Registry reported |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The FGT concept, styled by Lee Noble, appeared at the 1995 British Motor Show and was fitted with a Chevrolet V8. Racing driver and entrepreneur Klaas Zwart bought the whole company, raced the FGT in British GT and developed a road version. For Europe a BMW 4.4 litre V8 tuned by Hartge was chosen because of the service network. Series production began in 1997, but the car was shown at a motor show only in 1999, and was named Ecosse for Zwart's Scottish businesses.
Secret Classics counts 17 Ecosse plus the concept and a race car and dates the end of production to 2000; RM Sotheby's says nineteen examples over 1997 to 2003.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Ecosse.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine manufacturer | BMW V8, tuned by Hartge3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Mid-mounted BMW V8 tuned by Hartge1 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 83 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 4,400 cc / 4.4 LFactory: 4.4 L1 Independently researchedLater cars 4.7 L; a few 5.0 L. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 227 kW / 308 PSFactory: 304 hp · converted1 Independently researchedRM Sotheby's says about 300 bhp; 4.7 L version 298 kW/406 hp; 5.0 L 313 kW/426 hp. |
| Power at | 6,100 rpm3 Independently researched |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
| Redline | 7,000 rpm3 Independently researched |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Manufacturer | ZF3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gearbox | Five-speed manual4 Independently researched |
| Gears | 55 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Rear5 Independently researched |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Tubular frame1 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | De-tuned racing suspension (as described)3 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Fibreglass-reinforced plastic1 Independently researched |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | 1,250 kgFactory: 1,250 kg4 Independently researched |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 322 km/hFactory: 200 mph · converted4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 0–60 mph | 4 s4 Independently researched"just over four seconds" |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
The Ecosse has a tubular frame chassis and fibreglass-reinforced plastic body that changed little from concept to the end of production. Early cars have the 4.4 litre Hartge BMW V8 with five-speed manual; later cars were bored to 4.7 litres, and a five-litre Hartge V8 was fitted to a few. Chassis 008 stayed in the founder's family.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Ascari Ecosse Level B Secret Classics
- Ascari only produced a total of 17 Ascari Ecosse
- 4.4-liter V8 engine from BMW... teamed up with the German tuner Hartge
- 4.4-liter V8 engine from BMW
- power upgrade to 224 kW/304 hp
- tubular frame chassis
- fiberglass-reinforced plastic
- 2
-
3
Ascari Ecosse road test Level C PistonHeads · 2001-11-27
- Ascari asked German tuners Hartge to build on those virtues
- mid-mounted V8
- 400bhp at 6100 rpm
- power plant redlines at 7000 rpm
- agricultural ZF transmission
- lightweight space frame chassis mated to a de-tuned racing suspension
-
4
1997 Ascari Ecosse (Paris 2021) Level C RM Sotheby's
- original five-speed manual
- 1,250 kg Ecosse
- top speed of 200 mph
- 0-60 mph benchmark of just over four seconds
- 5
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