Here less is definitely more. Thanks to its low weight, IFR's Aspid hits 100 in 2.8 seconds.

The Aspid's 700kg kerb weight is less than half the weight of a typical premium sportscar. With 300kW available from its 2.0-litre supercharged engine, the power-to-weight ratio allows the car to reach 100km/h in 2.8 seconds.

The Aspid is also compact — with a wheelbase smaller than a city car — and packaged to accommodate even the tallest driver and passenger. Despite its size, the fully enclosed two-seater is comprehensively equipped and removed from being a 'stripped down to the bare essentials' track-day special.

Underpinning its weight saving is an ultra-lightweight aluminium extrusion composite panelled chassis with a mass of 75kg. The new construction method offers up to ten times the torsional stiffness of a conventional un-panelled space-frame and enhanced crash protection.

Similarly, the car's major innovation in its suspension is an ultra-lightweight aluminium extrusion, developed for the double wishbone system, with a profile that provides stiffness and rigidity in all directions and minimises stresses under torsional, longitudinal and vertical bending loads.

The Aspid also introduces an ultra-lightweight stainless steel brake system comprised of thin twin discs each with turbine-shaped slots for maximum air cooling and braking efficiency. The design results in a low un-sprung mass and rotational inertia and a weight saving of more than 70 per cent compared with normal brake systems.

Aspid also features a new electronic and electrical system designed to be lightweight by reducing the usual complexity of these systems by eliminating countless components, assemblies and microprocessors.

The most noticeable change for the driver is the elimination of traditional instrumentation replaced by one or more interactive touch screens. These allow the driver to change many parameters such as the rev limit, valve timing, power output, steering assistance, ABS, noise valve, brake balance, ride height, traction and stability controls, as well as influencing the pitch, roll and yaw of the car by adjusting its damping characteristics.

For motorsport enthusiasts the system offers an in-built and extendable data logging capability, readily configured for all OBD (onboard diagnostics) and CAN (control area network) sensors with 24 analogue channels available and upwards. For the road this is complemented by GPS satellite navigation, GPRS/GSM mobile communications, motion sensing accelerometers, Wi Fi wireless technology, Ethernet interface connections, as well as touch screens for both driver and co-driver.

The system can help reconfigure the car to suit different drivers and different driving conditions and can ensure the Aspid is set-up correctly for the road or track. It can even direct the driver through a series of tests and operations that will enable it to calculate engine torque and power.