Bristol Fighter History

The Fighter (announced 2002, customer deliveries from 2004) was the most radical car in Bristol's history and one of Britain's most exotic road cars of the 2000s. Designed with aerodynamic input from former Brabham Formula 1 engineer Max Boxstrom, it used gullwing doors and a carefully managed underbody to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.28 — a remarkable figure for a 525-bhp GT. The body was constructed in composite materials.

Power came from an 8.0-litre (7,996 cc) V10 engine derived from the unit used in the Dodge Viper, modified by Bristol to produce approximately 525 bhp and 525 lb-ft of torque. Performance was in supercar territory: 0–60 mph in around four seconds and a claimed top speed of up to 210 mph. Credible estimates put total Fighter production at approximately 13 examples across the full 2004–2011 run. Bristol entered administration in March 2011 before a planned turbocharged Fighter T variant could reach significant production.