Only one exists.
Although we aren’t car engineers, we do know that there is a simple formula for creating a sports car. This is the rough formula: low weight and high power. To make it even more fun, you can build a small car and put a stiff suspension on the vehicle. Finally, you can paint it red. We are talking about a specific vehicle.
You may not have heard of the Tom’s Angel T01. It is a rare sports car, built in the first half 1990. It’s not actually rare, as there is only one prototype of the model. It’s still going strong, as you can see in this video.
This 5:16 minute clip takes us to 2020 Showa Retro Car Expo in Osaka. It is an annual event where the WasabiCars YouTube channel filmed this rare bird. Tom’s in Great Britain designed and built the original car. It was intended to be produced for only 500 units. The project was quickly ended by “the financial realities at the time”.
Although it’s difficult to find reliable information on the Angel T01, we do know that it has a carbon body and an FRP monocoque mounted upon a steel frame. The suspension has a double-wishbone design and a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gas engine that produces 156 horsepower (116kW). The engine was connected to a 5-speed manual gearbox that sent power to the rear wheels. However, this was 1994.
The car currently uses an updated and modernized engine, with new components in its induction system. Although there aren’t any details on how much power this new engine produces, it is more than enough to drive a car that weighs in at 1,720 pounds (780 kg).