The Nichols N1A is a 650PS McLaren‑inspired Can‑Am racer for the road

Steve Nichols, the former designer for McLaren who was involved in the making of the dominant 1988 MP4/4, founded his own road car company in 2017. This, the Nichols N1A, is his first car, a Can-Am racer for the road, made in the image of the legendary McLaren M1A, the first sportscar designed and built by Bruce McLaren’s racing team.

Clearly, the brutality of a Can-Am car is unlikely to suit public roads, so what have the bods at Nichols Cars come up with to make this something you’d actually want to take out for a weekend jaunt?

Well, we can say for certain that the focus has not been to soften the engine. If there’s one thing Can-Am cars are renowned for, it’s their savage acceleration and monstrous power that makes these cars some of the most exciting to watch. To this day we continue to enjoy their presence as the fastest cars to race at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, in both the Revival and the Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport.

An initial run of 17 launch-spec cars will feature a dry-sump 7.0-litre-develop of the GM LS3. These new blocks have been bored out to their new 427-cubic inch capacity with steel liners and upgraded pistons, producing around 660PS (485kW). Each of these engines will be built by Langford Performance Engineering, a company that has produced F1 engines in the past, most notably that of the Jordan 191, the car in which Michael Schumacher made his debut at the Belgian Grand Prix. All models will come with a six-speed manual gearbox.

We don’t have any performance figures yet, but a power-to-weight ratio of around 710PS (522kW) per tonne suggests that these will pack a Can-Am punch.

Those of you who have already done the maths will have discerned that the Nichols N1A must also be extremely light, and indeed it weighs just 900kg. Again, close to the Can-Am blueprint, though here it’s achieved through the use of advanced lightweight materials, rather than an inane disregard for comfort in the name of performance.

Its graphene-infused carbon-fibre bodywork has been neatly folded over an aluminium and carbon-fibre chassis. As well as being light, it’s also stiff and strong – majorly important attributes for how the N1A performs on the road.

That bodywork has also been painstakingly designed to imitate the McLaren M1A that inspires this car, while Nichols has also carried out wind tunnel testing to ensure it works aerodynamically. To that end, it certainly looks like a classic Can-Am racer, with that incredibly low nose, bulging front wheel arches and rounded cockpit sides.

For all the efforts to bring customers the experience of proper ‘60s prototype racing, the Nichols N1A does make the most of modern tech when it comes to tyres: each will be fitted with a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, 19 inches at the front, 20 at the rear. No doubt helping to keep the N1A on the road will be multi-piston front and rear brakes, and independent double-wishbone suspension front and rear with anti-roll bars. Traction control comes as standard, while ABS is available as an option.

The N1A is actually larger all around compared to its symbolic ancestor, being 250mm wider with a 300mm longer wheelbase – another inevitable concession to 60 years of progress. While it still looks like a pretty mean and uncompromising racing car, it does actually offer a comparatively roomy interior.

That’s not to say there’s anything like the comfort you might find in your modern-day sportscar from Ferrari or McLaren. The inside of the Nichols N1A is still intended to provide an authentic and simplistic Can-Am feel. The dashboard features a set of classic-style analogue dials behind the steering wheel, which itself functions only to turn the front wheels via rack and pinion, which can be power assisted as an optional extra.

Leather, Alcantara and machined aluminium make up the almost the entirety of the interior materials catalogue, although these can be configured in a range of colours. The gear knob is ‘Ayrton Senna-inspired’, we assume it’s based upon what you would find in the cockpit of a McLaren MP4/4, while the reclined seating position is also said to imitate that car. Nichols is offering the option of a bespoke seat fitting, while the pedal positions can also be tailored to specific preferences.

From the sounds of it, this is a car that’s going to provide an authentic experience, built around the driver according to their needs, which in theory should make it one of the most engaging cars to drive in the world outside of the echelons of top-level motorsport.

In total, no more than 100 Nichols N1As will be built, with production commencing before the end of 2023. Prices are said to be in the region of £450,000 after taxes here in the UK. When can we have a go?