Barely a week goes by without yet another supercar start-up promising to build a brand new supercar, hold their own race series, and go to the moon. Which means of course, that most never build anything more than a fancy website and a few ludicrous press-releases before fading into nothingness within a year.
But back in the ’90s, a supercar start-up really did build a brand new supercar, hold their own race series, and – unbelievably – they’re now going to the moon.
Funded by the heir to the Agusta company (of aviation and motorcycle fame), Monaco-based Venturi’s bi-turbo 400 GT was designed for endurance racing, with around one-hundred produced to race in various GT championships, their own one-make series, and the Le Mans 24 hours. It was good too, competing with – and sometimes beating – racing stalwarts Ferrari and Porsche.
Under twenty were also produced for road use before production ceased in 1997, with this superb Speed Champions recreation of the road-going 400 GT constructed by LegoSEB77, who has absolutely nailed the French supercar’s mid-’90s aesthetic.
But what of the moon? Well Venturi folded in 2000, before being bought by a new owner who -with incredible foresight – transitioned the company to focus solely on electric motors. Motors which amazingly are now part of both NASA and SpaceX’s lunar rover programmes.
So there you have it, a supercar start-up that really did make the car it promised to, won races with it, and is now going to the moon, and you can see more of SEB77’s excellent brick-built version of the Venturi 400 GT on Flickr via the link above.
Harley-Davidson
Honda
Kawasaki
Yamaha
Vespa
