If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself “I’ve never heard of Contera Cars before” that won’t come as a surprise to me, as up until January of this year I hadn’t either.
The Kent based car company is run by duo David Halford and Michail Papastergiou, both of whom have a wealth of car knowledge that is backed up by a life time of working on, creating, modifying and now designing sports cars.
The Contera MD1 is the first car that was completely designed and created by Contera Cars from the ground up, and my first encounter with it was when I stumbled across its unassuming début stand at Autosport International 2015. As soon as I seen the car it instantly grabbed my attention.
My love of cars isn’t just for well-known marques, it also extends to independent car design, so you can imagine my surprise when I couldn’t decipher the model that lay before me.
I approached the car airing a degree of caution and as I circled it, taking in the finer details, I quickly realised it ticked many of the boxes of what (in my opinion) makes a great sports car.
First off, I think the styling is fantastic and it’s clear the MD1 wasn’t just thrown together on a whim. Michail, the cars designer explained to me that when initially drawing the car he started by first crunching the numbers and it was important he got this right from the get go.
The proportions of a car are crucial as after all, the figures determine the feel of a car – good handling and perfect weight distribution are key ingredients when designing a great sports car.
Design
The MD1 adheres to these principals with its low slung chassis, a mid-engine rear wheel drive design and close to 50-50 weight distribution. What’s more impressive about this car is the fact that not only was it created to be a road legal sports car but it was also created with racing applications in mind.
As a result of this well thought out design the car can be easily changed to take an array of different engines, which can be anything from a Chevrolet unit right up to a V12. David and Michail were kind enough to invite me to the factory where they build the chassis for the MD1 and I got to see first-hand how structurally sound it is, even the very fuel tank of this car was designed so that as it drains, it always holds the centre of gravity.
Power
The base package for the MD1 includes a 1JZ-GTE 2.5-litre twin turbo charged Lexus Yamaha engine that produces 300BHP. The car weighs in at around 1300KG and will sprint from 0-60mph in an impressive 4.5 seconds in its standard guise.
And if this isn’t enough to get your pulse racing the engine can be easily tuned up to 500-600bhp (depending on the customer’s request). The power is transmitted via a manual 5 speed Porsche gearbox that was specifically adapted to work on this car.
If for whatever reason the 1JZ isn’t for you, the MD1 can be fitted with various other engines, the car can be built with your needs/specification in mind.
Exterior
Defining the sports cars exterior is the Group C inspired wrap around windscreen that resides in a curvaceous and attention grabbing body shell that was hand built from high grade fibreglass.
The MD1 has a wide stance and a dominating road presence – sweeping lines, paired with the butterfly style doors and its see through engine cover gives an exotic/supercar feel to the car.
On the day of my test drive, I struggled to find a place where we could do so in peace. People followed us everywhere we went, asking if they could take pictures and all wanting to know more about the MD1.
Interior
On the inside things get even more interesting, the Contera MD1 is a 3 seated sports car and the fact the driver’s seat is positioned exactly in the middle is what really makes it stand out.
On either side of the driver, positioned a little further back are the two passenger seats, which I can confirm will hold a fully grown man (albeit quite snugly). Contera are quick to point out that whilst a 3 seated sports car is reminiscent of Gordon Murray’s design (on the McLaren F1), their choice to go with a central driving position came out of necessity by way of design of the MD1- as a result it offers the best visibility and also the best driving experience for whoever is behind the wheel.
The cockpit is a snug but comfortable place to sit; you are surrounded by carbon fibre and the modern tech you would expect in any new car. The MD1 comes fully loaded with a digital dash, CD/MP3 player, reversing camera, electric windows, central locking and a full air con/heating system.
What’s it like to drive?
I got to drive the MD1 myself and had quite a few passenger runs, although I couldn’t fully open up on the public roads I was driving on, I found the car had a very compliant and comfortable ride and I was more than happy with the suspension set up (though it is fully adjustable so you could soften/harden the ride to suit yourself).
The engine in the MD1 had more than enough power to keep me happy and the noise from the twin turbochargers spooling up behind you really is something else.
I expected inside the cabin to be very noisy but it wasn’t and the seats were surprisingly comfortable, though it does take some wiggling to get in the driver’s seat.
One thing that took some getting used to, was the gear stick being situated on the right hand side of the driver, and the cars wide road presence was also a little daunting on narrow country roads (though the fact this was the only one of its kind in its existence also played a major part in this).
Price/running costs
At this stage you are probably wondering how much all this will set you back. The base package costs £55K, which initially may seem like a lot – for £55K you could buy a Nissan GT-R. However this car isn’t aimed towards someone who is in the market for a new GTR, what you must consider is the fact that this is an exclusive and capable sports car that was hand built in Britain.
The Contera MD1 offers supercar looks at a fraction of the price you would pay for a Ferrari or Lamborghini – I’ve seen very few cars get the kind of attention it got when I was driving it.
What’s more is the MD1 comes with Lexus’ reliability and affordable servicing costs. An annual dealer service for a supercar can be anything between £1500-2000; the MD1 can be serviced by a local garage with parts that can be bought over the counter at a local motor factors.
Throw the reasonable MPG figures into the mix and the Contera MD1 is a car I would definitely consider buying myself. It’s a unique 3 seated, mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports car that has supercar looks but affordable running costs.
