A gentleman driver’s dream car
Many petrolheads are aware that it is very costly to fulfill your childhood dream of becoming a motorsport star. Unfortunately, the old saying “To make a small fortune racing, you must start with a large fortune” is still true.
British engineering company Tour-de-Force has a unique car and opportunity. The TDF-1 package is ready-to-drive and built around the Marussia F1 2011 car. TDF will fly your car to the track with an engineer team and a fitness instructor if you’re able to afford it.
The TDF-1, although it may look like it from outside, is not a complete reincarnation the 2011 Marussia F1 racing car. TDF lists the chassis under the name of the 2011 Marussia MVRO2 and 2012 Sauber C31. However, there were some modifications.
Although it might not make a huge difference in performance, the TDF-1 has a six-speed sequential gearbox instead of the original seven. TDF also removed the F1 V8 and replaced it with its 600-horsepower (447 kilowatts) turbocharged TDFM600T engine. We don’t know the exact cylinder count or configuration, but we would guess it to be either a V6 engine or a V8. The engine swap will probably cause some concern among petrolheads, but it is still sufficient to provide the vehicle with a power to weight ratio of 1000BHP/ton.
The TDF-1 is the closest thing you will get to driving a Formula 1 vehicle. The clutch is operated by hand, the steering wheel has many buttons and switches and it even features DRS. You will need to send your resume to an F1-team boss to get closer to driving a real F1 vehicle. Keep your fingers crossed.