The Ascari KZ1 is a sports car made by Ascari. It can reach 200 mph (322 km/h). This car has a V8 engine with 4941 cc capacity, sourced from BMW. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in under four seconds, ranking it as a supercar. The car is named from the initials of Ascari's owner Klaas Zwart, a wealthy Dutch businessman. Only 50 Ascari KZ1 cars will be produced, making it among the most exclusive cars produced today; by comparison, 400 of the well-known Ferrari Enzo have been made. Each car is priced at £235,000 and requires 340 hours of handcrafting. Owners also receive the opportunity to drive the car at the Ascari-managed Race Resort Ascari in Spain.
The KZ1 was also featured in November 2005 on the BBC television show Top Gear, where it set the 5th fastest lap time ever recorded on the show at 1 minute 20.7 seconds; currently, the KZ1 holds 10th place with the fastest record being 1:17.3 set by a Ascari A10.
The History of Ascari is rooted in motor racing heritage; Inspired and named after Alberto Ascari (1918 - 1955) who was the first double world Formula 1 champion. Born in Milan, Italy, Alberto had racing in his blood, as his father Antonio Ascari was a talented Grand Prix racing driver in the 1920's racing in Alfa Romeos. Ascari Cars was established in Dorset, England in 1995. A dedicated team of race professionals set out to develop their first limited-edition super car, the Ascari Ecosse, which was launched in 1998.
Envisioning a new kind of brand concept, AscariRaceResort was created to give a feeling of freedom in which the race and "relax duality" of life is integrated into a personal, exclusive and exciting experience. In 2000 Ascari built a new facility in Banbury, to develop their second car, the Ascari KZ1, and to house Team Ascaris racing assets. For the first time the road-and-race side of the Ascari group came together in one place under one roof.
The Banbury factory highlights the Ascari philosophy, with modern state of the art production facilities housing all that is required to create a definitive world-class supercar. To complete the Ascari experience, in 2000 Ascari began to develop the first Race Resort in the world. Situated in a beautiful secluded valley in the south of Spain, visitors can experience a totally new concept, where both high-speed adrenalin and luxurious relaxation are on offer at a modern race circuit. Future projects include a luxury hotel for privileged guests.
