2013 VDS GT 001

After a long career in sports car racing Raphaël van der Straten of VDS Racing Adventures revealed the VDS GT 001 as his first sportscar. Built around a Gillet Vertigo, the car has a also has a racing counterpart which will likely in special series.

The GT 001 is largely a Vertigo .5 Spirit and shares the model’s 480 bhp Maserati V8 engine and a lengthened version of its carbon fiber chassis.

Talking to endurance-info.com he reveals how the project came about “The initial idea was to produce a Vertigo with a different “touch” (a.6). When talking to Tony Gillet … Tony then introduced me to Charles van den Bosch, to whom I gave a few ideas and requirements.

Very quickly he came up with a few projects that were quite unconventional and which up to a point I liked. Then one day, in a series of sketches, the one that was to become MY car appeared. That was it, it couldn’t be anything else. Charles had managed to reproduce on paper something I had in my head. And then came Patrick Bataille, who had studied the project’s feasibility and produced a 1/1 scale model.

Then followed a lengthy period of styling tests, proposals, some small dilemmas regarding the car’s details (lights, grill, exit for the exhaust, etc.). Patrick had succeeded in making the project three dimensional. As for Tony Gillet he was the conductor, it was he who introduced me to all the people that have allowed me to make my dream come true today.”

Raphaël van der Straten plans to build 22 versions of the road going VDS GT 001 and campaign a similar VDS GT 001-R at the upcoming 24 Hours of Dubai.

In Detail

type	Series Production Car
built at	Belgium
engine	Maserati 90° V8
position	Front, Longitudinal
aspiration	Natural
displacement	4244 cc / 258.98 in³
bore	92 mm / 3.6 in
stroke	79.8 mm / 3.1 in
compression	11.0:1
power	357.9 kw / 480 bhp
specific output	113.1 bhp per litre
bhp/weight	505.26 bhp per tonne
body / frame	Carbon Fiber Chassis
driven wheels	RWD
front brakes	AP Ventiled Discs w/6-Piston Calipers
rear brakes	AP Ventiled Discs w/6-Piston Calipers
f suspension	Wishgbones w/Inboard Spring-Damper Units
r suspension	Wishgbones w/Inboard Spring-Damper Units
curb weight	950 kg / 2095 lbs
wheelbase	2340 mm / 92.1 in
front track	1602 mm / 63.1 in
rear track	1706 mm / 67.2 in
transmission	6-Speed Sequential