Rossion Q1: A Weird Sports Car You’ve Likely Not Heard Of

Meet the Rossion Q1, a 450-horsepower mid-engine sports car you’ve never heard of, based on a car you’ve barely heard of.

It’s an interesting concept to take a car that most folks aren’t very familiar with and design a kit car around it. However, that’s exactly what the Rossion Q1 is. Based on the Noble M400, the Q1 is an extremely lightweight mid-engine sports car with a V6 and a manual transmission. At just 2,300 pounds, this thing must feel like an absolute rocket ship to whoever is behind the wheel. They don’t come up for sale often, but when they do, they’re surprisingly affordable for what you’re getting.

This particular example is currently up for grabs on the auction website Cars and Bids. At the time of writing, the bid sits at $42,750. Don’t get too excited, though, because by the time you’re reading this, it’s likely already gone. Still, these cars fairly routinely sell for around $50,000 t0 $60,000 when they come up for sale. So, though you might have missed out on the opportunity to own this one, it’s worth it to take some time to dive into the details of this fantastic pseudo-supercar.

A True Driver’s Car With Supercar Spirit

According to the listing, Rossion released the Q1 after buying the rights to the Noble M400 back in 2008 and kept these cars in production until 2018. Various sources report that Rossion produced fewer than 100 Q1 examples during that 10-year production run. So, one shouldn’t expect to see them come up for sale that often. That said, they’re a phenomenally looking car and a definitive conversation starter at your local Cars and Coffee.

This Q1 uses a Ford Duratec V6 engine and powers solely the rear wheels with a six-speed manual transmission. Being that they were sold as kit cars, they came without a powertrain. According to Car and Driver, the official recommendation for these cars was the V6 engine from AER Manufacturing. Original pricing for the car was over $76,000 if you chose to have air conditioning for the chassis alone. Adding the installation kit, engine, and transmission brought the total to around $100,000.

Lightweight, Fast, and Fun

Car and Driver’s testing of this car saw it out-accelerate the Ferrari F430 Scuderia and sprint to 120 miles per hour in just 10 seconds. Make no mistake, this kit car is not just for looks. It’s a powerhouse of performance. Let’s not forget that the Noble M400, which is based on, is renowned for its phenomenal handling characteristics.

Overall, if you’re looking for something unique that’s nearly as fast as a 997 Porsche 911 Turbo in a straight line and you want to ensure you’re getting something nobody else has, you might try your hand at shopping for a Rossion Q1. At the original price of over $100,000 15 years ago, it’s a tough sell. For around $50,000 now, though? Well, that seems like a bargain.

Photos: Cars and Bids