The Keating TKR is a British sports car by Keating Supercars. The company that produces it (Keating; formerly known as Barabus Sportscars Ltd) was founded by Tony Keating and is based in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. The TKR features a twin turbocharged 7.0L V8 petrol engine derived from the General Motors LS (LS7) series.
The TKR has been recorded travelling at 260.1 mph at the El Mirage Lake, California. In 2010, the TKR was set to be the car of choice to break the blind land speed record. The car crashed on a test run and was unable to break this record.
Development
Barabus TKR
The idea for a car with the attributes of the Barabus TKR was born in 1996. The project was formed in the Italian town of Colonnella and included a plan to import the drive system from a factory in Great Britain.
Eventually, a prototype was placed on display at the 2006 British International Motor Show in London. At the time of its official release in mid-2006, the Barabus TKR was promoted as a supercar that could reach a top speed of , with the ability to accelerate from 0- in 2 seconds.
The TKR uses a V8 engine equipped with two turbochargers. The engine reportedly produces at 6,800 rpm, which classified it among the most powerful production cars in the world at the time, including the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and SSC Ultimate Aero. At least one TKR was fitted with an upgraded 7.0 L engine built by Nelson Racing Engines, producing around , and was used for top speed runs, achieving a speed of on El Mirage Lake. The interior of the TKR is made from a combination of fine leather and suede, while the accents are provided by materials (such as brushed aluminium or carbon fiber) combined with painted highlights.
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