Breckland Beira news - Great Beira – 2008

Despite legion past failures, we still get a frisson of excitement when news reaches us of 'a stunning new British sports car'.

A V8 powered British sports car, no less, set to debut at the British Motor Show this July. A British sports car that, if not handsome exactly, isn't actively offensive to the eyes. 

But then we look closer and see that the British sports car - built in Britain, by British builders, for Britons - has its steering wheel on the wrong side.

The left side.

Surely that's like announcing an all new British vacuum cleaner only available with a US plug attachment?

That's because this British sports car - the Beira, built by Norfolk-based firm Breckland Technology - is actually a Pontiac Solstice in drag. Pretty convincing drag, we have to say - Breckland has ditched the wheezy little four-pot of the US-only convertible in favour of GM's six-litre 'LS2' V8.

So that's an engine developing around 400bhp in a car weighing 1,400kg, which means a 0-62mph time of 'under five seconds' (though how much under we're not certain) and a top speed electronically limited to 155mph.

Which puts it right in SLK 55 AMG territory...

Breckland has bulked up the chassis and suspension on the Beira, and also fitted it with a 70-litre LPG reservoir that, apparently, hasn't decreased luggage space. Presumably by bending the space-time continuum somehow.

"Beira carries on from where Marcos and TVR left off," says Breckland director Mike Rawlings. 

We don't know whether that's a good thing or not, but we're still looking forward to seeing the Breckland Beira this July.

It'll go on sale later this year with prices starting at around £55,000.

And no, the fact that they seem to have taken the name of a popular Italian coupe and squished a couple of letters around hasn't gone unnoticed.