Westfield Sportscars

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Westfield SE from 1989

Westfield Sportscars Ltd. is a British sports car manufacturer and kit car manufacturer . The company has been developing and selling sports cars since 1983, particularly based on the design of the Lotus 7 .

history

Chris Smith, a driver and engineer in historic motorsport, fulfilled his dream of a sports car in the spring of 1982 with the replica of a Lotus Eleven . After receiving several inquiries to sell the replica, he founded Westfield Sportscars Ltd. at Easter 1983. After the development of the Westfield 7SE, a replica of the Lotus Seven , production of the Westfield XI was slowly phased out. In 1991 the company expanded and moved to a modern production and administration building in Kingswinford. Shortly afterwards the SEight was introduced, a Westfield SE with a V8 engine from Rover. Due to the high demand, the Westfield XI was added to the range again in 2004 and is still produced in small numbers today. In 2006 the company was sold to Potenza Motorsport. Potenza invested in the future of Westfield, buying automaker GTM and stake in Swedish automaker Roadster Bil AB . In 2009 Westfield was the first manufacturer to achieve the status of a European small series manufacturer. The Westfield Sport Turbo was then ordered by customers across Europe. The Westfield Mega S2000 was presented in 2013, followed by the Westfield Sport 250 with the EcoBoost engine from the Ford Focus in 2016 . The Westfield Sport Turbo is currently being revised and in future it will be sold to customers across Europe with an EcoBoost engine.

Sales and distribution

Westfield sports cars are sold worldwide through a network of distributors. Over 13,000 vehicles have been sold since it was founded, and around 400 sports cars are handcrafted every year.

German dealers like CCK from Kempten also offer other vehicles in addition to the Westfield Sport Turbo. It is therefore possible to approve a new Westfield FW with a Zetec engine and Euro 6 emissions standard in Germany via individual approvals.

vehicles

Westfield XI

Westfield XI

The Westfield XI comes from the time Westfield was founded and is a replica of the Lotus Eleven . The vehicle was withdrawn from the range in 1988, but was reissued some time ago and can be purchased as a kit from Westfield. The kit is not complete, however, and customers have to organize many parts of the MG Midget or Austin-Healey Sprite themselves to complete the vehicle .

Westfield SE

The SE is Westfield's best-known and best-selling model. Like the design and construction of the vehicle, the name is based on the original, the Lotus Seven . The vehicle was initially called the Westfield 7SE and has been available in different versions over the years.

The SEi had taken the rigid axle of the SE an independent suspension ( ger .: i ndependent suspension) at the rear axle. The W models (SEW, SEiW) had a slightly wider body in the rear area, which is also evident in the slightly wider passenger compartment. The technology came mostly from the rear-wheel drive Ford Escort of the first two series and from the Ford Sierra . The engines were mainly from Ford. There are the Kent engines with 1.6 liter displacement from Escort and the first Ford Fiesta , the CVH engines from Fiesta and Escort with carburetors, injection systems or turbocharging, the Ford OHC engines and in modern vehicles, the Zetec engines of the Zeta and Sigma series as well as the Duratec engines .

The Classic version of the SE is currently being sold with a Ford Zetec 16V of the Zeta family with a displacement of 2 liters and 110 kW (150 PS). The kit includes all parts required, customers just need to buy the fluids separately. Special tools are not required to complete the kits, Westfield specifies a construction time of 120 hours. The current SE models can also be purchased fully assembled. The price is about 4000  pounds (a good 4500 euros) above the price of the kit.

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Westfield FW

The Westfield FW is the most modern version of the SE with improved technology and is also offered ex works with the Ford Zetec 16V with 110 kW (150 PS).

Westfield Sport 250

Westfield Sport 250 is EcoBoost engine of the Ford Focus ST installed. The engine has an output of 184 kW (250 hp). The Sport 250 only differs from the SE in small details such as a higher windshield and a modified roll bar.

Westfield Mega S2000 Kit

The Mega S2000 Kit is delivered without a motor and gearbox. The plan is to install the engine with the manual 6-speed gearbox of the Honda S2000 , which has an output of 177 kW (241 hp) ex works. The parts required for installing the motor and the gearbox are included in the kit.

Westfield Sport Turbo

Since the end of 2009 there has been a model of the SE with Europe-wide homologation, which, as a vehicle built by Westfield, can now be registered in all European countries. The vehicle has a four-cylinder gasoline engine with 1.6 liter displacement and turbocharging, which comes from the Opel Corsa OPC and has an output of 143 kW (195 hp). The 150 kW (205 hp) variant is only available in the UK and outside Europe.

The Sport Turbo was revised in 2019.

Westfield Aerorace

The Westfield Aerorace is based on the SE, but can also be ordered on the basis of the FW. The vehicle has a Zetec engine with 125 kW (170 PS) and is only intended for motorsport. That is why the vehicle also has a roll cage in accordance with FIA guidelines, a fire extinguishing system, 5-point seat belts and a lighter chassis. The AeroRace can be purchased as a kit or assembled ready-to-race from Westfield.

Former vehicles

Westfield SEight

Engine bay of a Westfield SEight

The Westfield SEight was offered between 1991 and 2010. This Westfield SE was powered by a Rover V8 engine. a. was installed in the Rover SD1 . The SEight was also available as a kit or as a fully assembled vehicle. Unlike many other Westfield vehicles, the SEight kits were always delivered without an engine.

Westfield Megabusa

The Westfield Megabusa was built from 2000 and was also based on the SE. The 1.3 liter Suzuki Hayabusa engine with a sequential 6-speed gearbox was used.

Westfield XTR

Westfield XTR2

The Westfield XTR is reminiscent of a minimalist, two-seater racing car from the sports car world championship of the 1970s. However, the approximately 440 kg light car can legally be driven on public roads - at least in the UK . Like the Megabusa, the XTR2 is powered by the 1.3 liter engine of the Suzuki Hayabusa with 127 kW (170 hp) and its sequential 6-speed gearbox. The XTR2 received media attention when it set the fastest time on the Top Gear test track and was thus faster than the then front runner Pagani Zonda . Richard Hammond pointed out that the XTR is a "twenty thousand" ( pound ) vehicle that can be assembled in your own shed. The XTR2 was built from 2001 to 2010.

The production of the XTR4, a vehicle that differs from the XTR2 in some details, ended earlier. The XTR4 was equipped with the 1.8 T engine from Audi from the late 1990s.

Web links

Commons : Westfield Sportscars  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The history of Westfield at westfield-sportscars.co.uk, accessed June 6, 2019
  2. ↑ Westfield Classic FW on cck-kempten.de, accessed on June 6, 2019
  3. ↑ Westfield XI Kits on westfield-sportscars.co.uk, accessed June 6, 2019
  4. ↑ a b Special Editions on westfield-sportscars.co.uk, accessed June 6, 2019
  5. ↑ Westfield Sport 250 at westfield-sportscars.co.uk, accessed June 6, 2019
  6. ↑ Mega S2000 Kit on westfield-sportscars.co.uk, accessed June 6, 2019
  7. ↑ Westfield Sport Turbo on westfield-sportscars.co.uk, accessed June 6, 2019
  8. ↑ Sport Kits Range on westfield-sportscars.co.uk, accessed June 6, 2019
  9. ↑ Westfield XTR power lap Top Gear on youtube.com, accessed June 6, 2019