The Dodge Viper hissed its last in 2017 and shows no sign of returning, despite the brand’s newfound performance focus. But across the Atlantic a distant relative of the Viper has just been rebooted, Chrysler V10 and all.
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That car is the Bristol Fighter, a quirky gullwing-door coupe from a little-known British luxury brand that made Aston Martins look about as exclusive as Ford Fiestas. The Bristol brand has been resurrected and 15 years after Fighter production ended, five new Fighters are planned to lead the comeback.
Born from the Bristol Aeroplane Company after World War II, Bristol Cars built its first automobile in 1946 and spent decades making expensive luxury machines in tiny numbers. Aviation-inspired engineering, usually wrapped in understated styling and powered by a Chrysler V8, plus a determination to do things its own way became Bristol trademarks from the late 1960s through to the 1990s.
Up To 608 HP
The Fighter was far less understated. Introduced in 2004, it wrapped a two-seat body and spectacular gullwing doors around the 8.0-liter V10 associated with the Dodge Viper. Bristol offered it with 525 hp (532 PS) as standard or 600 hp (608 PS) in its hottest Fighter S form, claiming a top speed of 210 mph (338 kmh).
Production stopped when Bristol entered administration in 2011, leaving unfinished business behind. Following a failed relaunch in the 2010s, new owner Paul King has now picked up the story using five original unused Fighter chassis. The first has already been completed in black over tan and unveiled at Salon Privé, while the remaining four will be built to their owners’ specifications. Presuming Bristol can find some would-be owners, that is. Five cars might not sound many until you consider that Bristol is believed to have only built 13 Fighters in period.
Buyers can choose right- or left-hand drive, and Bristol claims the cars could even reach America under the Show or Display exemption. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the fact that the Fighter cost around £230k when new in 2004 – double what a Bentley Continental or Ferrari 360 cost – you can assume it’s not going to be Chinese-cheap today.
Only The First Phase Of A Comeback
Bristol isn’t simply clearing some old chassis out of the cupboard and calling it a comeback, though. Completing the Fighters is intended to reconnect the reborn company with its past before it moves forward. King is joined by chairman Richard Hackett, who worked closely with longtime (and long-dead) Bristol boss Tony Crook back in the day, while an unnamed British manufacturing partner will handle the specialist production work.
Exactly what comes after these V10 time capsules remains under wraps. Bristol says the Fighter is only the first step in a wider return, suggesting its 80th anniversary won’t just be about looking backwards. A few years ago when news of plans to resurrect Bristol first appeared, the owners talked of making EVs. But given that rich folk have made it clear they’re mostly only interested in combustion power, it seems safe to presume those plans have been scrapped.
Now if we could just get Dodge to find a few old Viper chassis out the back of its plant and follow Bristol’s lead…