Would you buy a car from Kevin Gallahan? No, you haven’t heard of him but he’s about to debut his vision of a supercar. The price? That’s an excellent question. What’s that? No, you can’t test-drive one. It doesn’t even come to the U.S. ready to drive. It’s partially assembled in Thailand by a company that also makes surfboards. But did you catch the one scheduled for display at the just-wrapped SEMA show in Vegas? No? Then you might have to rely on pictures and take a leap of faith if you’re truly interested, because a very limited production run of 350 cars is scheduled to begin in January. Don’t laugh, it could be worth it.
The first thing the Arbitrage GT has going for it is its name. If you follow racing, yes, it’s that Galmer. Led by Alan Mertens, Galmer Engineering was established in 1988, but quickly established their winning reputation in the Formula and IndyCar series with well-engineered cars piloted by drivers like Danny Sullivan and Al Unser, Jr.
Next, the Arbitage GT has been designed to run with Chevrolet’s mighty LS7 engine; the same power plant found in the Corvette Z06; the same one you’ll have to source to drop into your car. To circumvent U.S. government regulations, Gallahan and Thailand’s Cobra International (no relation to Carroll Shelby) build the car most of the way before shipping it over, sans engine and transaxle. It’s estimated 100 hours of final assembly stand between you and tire-smoking bliss.
Time to evaluate this car as closely as possible relative to its high-performance peers. We’ll make the calls for its combined luxury and practicality, allowing a “first look” at Gallahan’s vision (the actual car has not been driven for evaluation).
The luxury ride
Early in the Arbitrage GT’s development, a twin-turbo Audi 3.2-liter V6 was tapped as the car’s source of speed. Reportedly, the Germans weren’t exceptionally keen on the idea, and neither were prospective buyers. Enter the Vette, or at least the LS7 engine from the Z06. Some fiddling made it fit, so the car suddenly had a 505-horsepower advancement. A six-speed transmission from Gearfox will be purpose-built for the car. It should equal impressive performance. Galmer and Cobra are mum on the specs “until track testing is completed,” in their words. So we don’t know the car’s weight, gear ratios or aerodynamics. For now, anticipate figures at least as lofty as those of the Z06: 0 to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of around 198 mph. Given the Galmer track experience and the Arbitrage’s mid-engine layout, we suspect the handling will be great, too.Even a quick glance at the Arbitage GT reveals the car’s performance intent. The self-taught designer Togay Yuvanc rendered the car’s looks, and with due respect, Yuvanc ain’t no Pininfarina. The car looks good, but it doesn’t break any new ground or strongly distinguish itself from other mid-engine performance cars in a visual sense.
Open the upper-hinged, wing-like doors and you’ll see the interior truly is a cockpit. Don’t expect to be lulled to sleep with excessive comfort or features. It’s a carbon fiber-fortified cabin built to move. Primary gauges are big, analog and directly in front of you. A multifunction touch-screen system encompasses operation of the HVAC, sound and nav systems. Optional door- and rear-mounted cameras will present on-screen displays in place of actual mirrors, which are usually symbolic on a mid-engine car anyway. Finally, fingerprint recognition for entry and ignition is reportedly going to be an option.
The verdict
Performance cars are sometimes more beast than beauty. This is one of those cars. With a reported emphasis on light weight and a proven screamer of an engine, there’s little doubt the Galmer Arbitage GT will be wicked quick. We just have a few reservations about its desirability and ability to generate envy from others.Luxury score: 44
The practical ride
We’re told the Galmer Arbitrage GT is going to be ever-ready to go from Clark Kent to Superman, or vice versa. Part of that will depend on the smoothness of the transmission and ride settings. As for the engine, we already know the LS7 can burble around town all day at vanilla speeds, so that’s a good sign. Beyond that, we foresee the car no easier or tougher to wrangle than the average insanely powered car. If anything, much of the difficulty will come from the driver’s own temptations.Viewing your rearward surroundings in most mid-engine cars is often pointless and limits their practicality, but the aforementioned camera option in the Arbitage GT helps to address this. It will take some getting used to, but it’s better than blind faith. Another typical mid-engine drawback is room to carry more than a pack of cigarettes. We have no reason to believe this car will be any different, so you’ll be faced with a quandary of packing light or taking a passenger along for weekend trips.
From a long-term relationship standpoint, we have some reservations about the Arbitage GT. Yes, the engine is solid and its parts are easy to find. The Galmer name suggests the car will hold up under speed, too. One big question mark, however, arises from final assembly -- you either have to do it yourself or source it from a shop; hope you trust their expertise. Another uncertainty is what happens when you break something that you can’t get from your local Chevy dealer? Even if money is not an issue, will you have the patience to wait for spare parts -- kit car parts, presumably from Cobra in Thailand? That brings up another point: Is a kit car really worth it? All the power on the planet won’t change that fact. And do you really want your production-car driving buddies to know you have a kit car?
This may all be negated by a great price, but we can’t quite make that call. Galmer states the Arbitage GT “will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars less than the nearest competitor in it’s (sic) class.” Great. That’s like saying an unknown painting from a moderately-known artist “will sell at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars less than the Mona Lisa.” Thanks, Sherlock.
The verdict
Without the cachet of an exceptionally prestigious or well-known name, the Galmer Arbitage GT’s shortcomings in practicality are amplified.Practicality score: 28
and the total is...
We applaud Kevin Gallahan’s efforts to produce a supercar, but we’re not sure we’d buy it. On paper, it looks great: A race car developer is onboard, it’s designed to fly with one of the best engines currently in production, plus overseas manufacture and final assembly by the owner control end costs. In reality, we’re not totally sold. Even as an owner, how often will you really want to show off your car -- and where? Those who don’t recognize it won’t appreciate it. Those who do recognize it will know you paid dearly for a kit car.72/100
Resources:http://www.galmerinc.com/company.htm
http://www.arbitragecars.com/gt.php
http://www.corvettemuseum.com/specs/2006/LS7.shtml
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