Keating SKR/TKR (aka Barabus)

[Nortad]

Aparently the wild power and performance claims are nothing more than a joke.

The design is a copy of Sallen S7 front and center with Pagani Zonda rear











EVO MAGAZINE

Keating unveiled
Roger Green reports from the curious launch of the new British supercar 'available with up to 1500bhp'
Text: Roger Green / Photos: Kenny P

29th May 2008

As bullish claims go, having yourself compared to Colin Chapman is right up there, but that?s exactly who Anthony Keating ? the brains behind the Keating SKR ? is likened to at the beginning of the launch presentation for his new ?world-beating supercar?.

There are other similarly bold claims in the half-hour unveiling speech at the launch in Southport, Lancs. This car, we are informed, will stamp the UK?s engineering talent back on the map so firmly that the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini won?t know which way it went.

So what exactly is it? With a glassfibre body and a steel spaceframe, the SKR is powered by a normally aspirated 6-litre GM LS2 V8 driving through a Porsche five-speed transaxle. The 400bhp entry-level model will cost ?90,000, but the 7-litre Corvette Z06 engine will also be available in various states of tune, right up to a faintly absurd 1500bhp. If you prefer, the chassis can be constructed and clothed in carbonfibre, in which case the car will be called a TKR and will weigh-in at 995kg rather than 1190.

When the puff is over, the cover is finally removed to reveal a formulaic supercar that mixes numerous styling cues, from the F430-style sculpted headlights through to the Zonda-esque section beyond the rear wheels. Crucially, though, their high-quality detailing is not so apparent.

There?s a definite and unfortunate kit-car feel to the SKR, not ideal when you?re trying to persuade buyers to ignore the honed perfection of the similarly priced 911 GT3 RS. Still, we?re promised a drive on an MOD runway this afternoon, where we?ll get a taste of its dynamics. Perhaps they will make up for the aesthetic shortfall.

Before we head over to RAF Woodvale, I corner Anthony Keating and ask him how much the 1000 and 1500bhp variants will cost. ?That?s a good question,? he responds. ?No one?s asked that before. I don?t really know. About ?170,000 for the 1000bhp car, I guess.?

The cabin looks similar to that of a Noble M12, only not so cohesive or well finished. We?re told owners can have a bespoke interior, though, so this isn?t representative.

Two runs later at the test venue a couple of black streaks start oozing through a gap in the SKR?s rear panel. An engineer spots it and instructs DK to park the car away from the press so they can lift the rear cover (we?ve not seen the engine yet) and investigate. I nudge our lensman, Kenny P, and leg it over to where the car has stopped. There?s a thick, dark liquid flowing from the gearbox and it?s immediately obvious we?re done for the day. Our promised drive has escaped with the oil.

What happens next for Keating we?re not sure. You can?t help but admire the drive and confidence of Anthony Keating in creating his own supercar project, but as it stands the SKR has an amateur feel and we?re unsure where the customers will come from. As for the 1500bhp version, I think I?m busy that day.


Autocar magazine

Not driven this week: Keating SKR

Went to the launch of Keating and its ?new British supercar? in Southport last week and came away disappointed, but not surprised, by what I saw.

Fledgling Keating decided that no journalists would actually drive its SKR. But from what we saw, it?s just another under-engineered British sports car with a big American V8, no heritage and an optimistic asking price.

The Merseyside likely lads behind Keating want ?90,000-125,000 for the SKR. But that cost is ?arbitrary? I was told, so it might be more, depending on ?what the customer wants?.

So far Keating has built just one, and it?s a machine whose build quality is akin to a hobbyist?s kit car, not a ?100 grand supercar. Despite the Ford Sierra switchgear, the interior?s not nearly finished, which makes me wonder if the Keating dream has run out of money and now needs customers, who?ll essentially pay to complete the car?s development. Which would explain the ?arbitrary? price.

As things stand, the SKR would tempt only the clinically insane away from an Aston Martin, an Audi R8 or a Porsche 911 Turbo.

But Keating?s press briefing had a good go at convincing us anyway, littered as it was with grandiose performance and reliability claims, which I?m afraid were met with scepticism. One of Keating?s men then got up and said: ?Proud British companies are now owned by Germans, Americans or Indians, taking the best of British and using it for their benefit. We?re bringing back the best of British.?

That?s an interesting point of view when you consider that the SKR?s 400bhp V8 comes from Chevrolet of America and that its body shell is made in the Philippines. In the end, we took a passenger ride in the SKR alongside an affable Scouse test driver whose sole qualification for hooning the car along a runway seemed to be that he was pretty handy on the Southport ring road.

It was quick, but not mind-blowing. The dials didn?t work so I can?t tell you how fast we went. But the springs are ridiculously soft - mid-corner bumps would be an unsettling issue. And then, after a few runs up and down the runway, the gearbox went pop and spewed its oil over the back wheels. So it was game over.

I dread to think how much money has been invested in Keating. In fairness, just building the car is further than most wannabe supercar makers ever get.

If Keating builds a finished, working, marketable car, we?ll be more than happy to test it with an open mind. Who wouldn?t want to see the North West?s new TVR or the next Noble? For now though, Keating?s SKR is some way from getting there.


Car magazine

Keating SKR and TKR

By Ben Pulman

A British Bugatti? Or another loopy sports car from Lancashire? The Keating SKR and TKR launched today have 1500bhp potential and top speeds that challenge the Veyron's - but it's difficult to dispel our innate cynicism about yet another new British supercar manufacturer.

But Keating is launching its two supercars with rides in fully functioning cars, both on a private test track and on public roads, so CAR Online has today gone to Southport in the north east of England. We aim to find out whether Keating Supercars is another unfortunate joke on St George’s day or something worth making noise about.

After all, if you ignore companies like these you might be missing out on meeting the next Lee Noble or Simon Saunders, respectively the men behind Noble and Ariel.

So what’s Keating Supercars all about then?

It’s the dream of Anthony Keating, and the success of his power generation company Electromech means he can now indulge his dream and produce his own supercar. Keating’s exacting standards are blamed for the eight-year development process, but the company claims everything is unique. Even the door mirrors are of Keating’s own design.

Right, the basics of the Keating SKR and TKR. What are they?

All SKRs and TKRs have a mid-mounted GM V8 that drives the rear wheels through a five-speed Porsche transaxle. As standard there's a steel spaceframe chassis, but you can spec a carbonfibre chassis. All cars come with a GRP body, but you can spec carbon bits or a full carbonfibre body if you're crazy about saving weight (and splashing your cash).

The Keating is 4313mm long, 1867mm wide and 1149mm high, making it pretty much Lamborghini Gallardo size. It’s a pure two-seater, but will apparently accommodate anyone up to 6ft 7in because that’s how tall Anthony Keating’s engineering partner is. Interior trim is down to your imagination, as long as you have the money to pay for it. There’s no word yet on weight, and all cars come with a Corbra Trak 5 security tracking system.

‘We haven’t tried to design the most technologically advanced car in the world,' says the blurb. 'Keating Supercars are solid, beautifully engineered bespoke creations built to the exact wishes of the commissioning owner, designed with longevity and ease of ownership in mind. ‘

What's the difference between the SKR and TKR?

SKR is the designation for the road cars while TKR is for ‘competition cars destined for the track’, though you can spec your SKR with lots of TKR options. The engine line-up is:

SKR 400 6.0-litre V8, 404bhp @ 6000rpm, 400lb ft @ 4000rpm
SKR 500 7.0-litre V8, 505bhp @ 6200rpm, 475lb ft @ 4800rpm
SKR 520 Supercharged, 525bhp
SKR 650 Supercharged, 656bhp

No exact spec is known about the 520 and 650 versions, but GM has recently released a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 that powers the Cadillac CTS-V and Corvette ZR-1. To avoid expensive tuning, that engine seems like the most viable option for the higher-power SKR cars.

TKR cars will have further developed versions of these engines plus two twin-turbo variations with 1000 and 1500bhp that have been developed in the USA. Unfortunately, 1000bhp-plus cars have to make do with four-speed ‘boxes.

But there is of course a disclaimer when it comes to the twin-turbo cars. The company’s launch press kit stated that: ‘Neither the TKR 1000 nor TKR 1500 will be available as customer cars until the initial SKR production run has been completed’. So if you don’t buy the SKR we won’t see 1500bhp coming from a British road car any time soon...

So who would actually buy an SKR?

We’re not sure. There’s been no word on price yet, but if it’s under £100k you meet everything from the Porsche 911 to the Audi R8. Get up to £150k and you can afford the smallest Ferrari and Lamborghini offerings, while the 599 and LP640 are yours for around £200,000. Go beyond this and you’re into second-hand McLaren SLR and Porsche Carrera GT, then Koenigsegg land.

And all these cars have heritage. And if the Keating becomes all about top speed it might end up like the SSC Ultimate Aero from America. Very fast, and that’s about it. We'll know more about the Keating prices later today.

Do we rate Keating's chances?

Right now the top speed and power output claims are surely to grab our attention. How else can a tiny company compete on such a busy world stage?

For now Keating is concentrating on getting the SKR right, but it has already admitted to having the chassis ready for a world record attempt. Watch this space, because Keating may become great, or we may never see the company again.

Now you compare the front and rear with the saleen and zonda

[Memphis]

First pic reminded me of the ascari