The Nichols N1A is a Can-Am car for the street, and it’s about to make the leap from a one-off toy into a production model that you can buy.
The man behind the project is Steve Nichols, an aerospace engineer that was on the team responsible for developing the McLaren MP4/1 F1 car, as well as leading the technical team on the MP4/3, and the MP4/4, the most successful F1 car of all time.
Inspired by the McLaren M1A, the N1A features an aluminum chassis is clothed in a carbon-fiber body. The enhanced shape with a ground-hugging front nose and pronounced fender haunches was honed in the wind tunnel for balanced aerodynamics and downforce.
Even the wheels are replicas of the units that the M1A would have worn in competition, but are now 19 inches tall in the front, and 20 inches tall in the rear. The result is a wonderful tribute to McLaren’s first race car, but also a thoroughly modern and capable machine.
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Providing the motivation is a Chevrolet LT1 V8 crate engine, which produces 460 horsepower to the rear wheels. If buyers wish, there are two options to upgrade to a 520 horsepower V8 with individual throttle body injection, or a 7-liter big-block V8 producing 650 horsepower.
Those big displacement engines feel even bigger when you consider that the weight of the vehicle is just 900kg (1,984 lbs), including fluids. All engines are connected to a 6-speed manual transmission developed by Nichols himself, featuring a “Senna Inspired” gear knob.
The N1A doesn’t only get its looks from the McLaren, but is also part of the origin story:
“We didn’t set out with the intention of going into production,” says Nichols. “It was an idea that John Minett, Nichols Cars’ CEO, and I had been talking about for a while. In the end we thought we might as well build one and see how it turned out. Once people saw it on the road, the response was incredible. It’s a bit like the original M1A that started the whole McLaren story. Bruce McLaren built it as a one-off for his own personal use. Then people starting asking him if he could produce a few more!”
The Nichols N1A will make its official debut in the second quarter of 2022, with pricing likely to be announced soon after. Although the vehicle would be best used on the track, it will also be legal for UK streets.
