Sports car startup signs for engineering support

Visioneering has been chosen to provide engineering services to Project Kimber for the development of its new range of sports cars to be assembled in South Wales.

Visioneering has been chosen to provide engineering services to Project Kimber for the development of its new range of sports cars to be assembled in South Wales with support from the Welsh Assembly Government.

The Coventry-based company has recently been in the headlines with its work for JCB Dieselmax, supplying engineering capabilities and specialist personnel resource for the successful attempt to break the world land speed record for a diesel powered car, which achieved 350 mile/h last month.

Project Kimber has appointed Visioneering to provide a fast-track team of engineers, which will be led by John Piper, Director of Special Projects for the company.

Gordon Murray, formerly of McLaren Cars and best known for his numerous Formula 1 successes and the McLaren F1 super-car, will head Project Kimber's engineering activities, work closely with the project's product planners, and oversee Visioneering's programme.

Brian Horner, Chief Executive, Visioneering, says of this new automotive initiative: "We are firmly entrenched within the industry and have unrivalled experience in this type of engineering programme".

"We have all the resources and infrastructure that are needed to provide Project Kimber with the highest standards of expertise".

"It is a very exciting project, which has received the support of many other prominent automotive industry specialists".

"We look forward to working with them to achieve success in the marketplace for this new range of sports cars".

Led by the turn-around specialist, Lord James of Blackheath, Project Kimber is a team of Midlands-based automotive industry specialists that has secured the rights to rebrand, re-engineer, assemble and sell the smart roadster range of sports cars.

The rights to use the world-famous AC brand have been secured for the cars, which are planned to be launched into the European market during 2007.

Barrie Wills, Chief Executive of Kimber says of the tie-up with Visioneering: "We have now put into place all the elements of the design engineering and development programme and Visioneering is central to this".

"Visioneering has all the qualities that we look for in a partner - impeccable credentials, a flexible approach, a sense of urgency, and a passion and commitment for the project".

"I'm totally confident that it will prove to be a productive and successful association".

Back to top