Chevron is a name closely associated with great racing cars and the British company has launched an all-new model to offer affordable high-speed racing thrills. The £49,500 GR8 is aimed at those who want exciting racing without spending a fortune and a full season of competition is planned from April 2010.

The GR8 is built in Cheshire with a 255bhp 2.0-litre engine. Tipping the scales at just 600kg, the GR8 has a power to weight ratio of 400bhp per tonne and Chevron claims that the GR8's performance will embarrass many supercars. Chevron's director Helen Bashford-Malkie said: "In a sense, we have turned the idea of a supercar on its head. Unleash a supercar's performance on the road and in a few seconds you could be on the wrong side of the law. Yet, for track days or serious competition, supercars require modification and are extremely expensive to repair if they suffer damage."

"The GR8's lightness contributes to the handling and responsiveness as it's been designed as an out-and-out racer from the tyre contact patch up. The structure is strong and robust and full consideration has been given to ensuring relative ease of repair."

A track day version of the racing GR8 is already under development and Chevron is looking at a roadgoing model, though the company says that a road legal GR8 is not a priority at the moment.