A cool breeze blows in off the Atlantic and rustles palm fronds lining Ocean Boulevard. It’s a red light. I’d take this moment to look out at the ocean, but I can’t see over the low wall that holds back the dunes of Pompano Beach. That’s fine; I only need to see the road ahead. A black SUV pulls to a stop on my right. Looking up, I see the driver’s tinted window buzz down. A pretty Floridian is smiling at me. I don’t know her, but I think I might like to. She blows me a kiss, the light turns green and I let the clutch out — never to see her again. Such is life with a Rossion Q1, a car I sampled for two hot and humid days near the company’s headquarters in southern Florida.
It’s fair to say the Rossion Q1 is firmly in the supercar category. Its weight-to-power ratio of 6.3:1 (450 bhp; 2675 lb.) compares favorably with the Ferrari F430’s 7.0:1. There are faster cars, but nothing is as light with this much power. It’s a quick one for sure, and thus its designation Q1 (quick1), but it really shines in the corners.
The overall dimensions and fiberglass composite body are reminiscent of a Lotus Esprit (a car last sold in the U.S. a half-decade ago). According to our September 1997 road test of the twin-turbo V-8 Esprit, that car weighed 3045 lb. and made 350 bhp from its 3.5-liter V-8. That’s a 9.2:1 weight-to-power ratio. And back when we tested the Esprit, it was faster to 60 mph than every Ferrari but the F50! It’s a car we wish Lotus had continued to develop. If the company had, it would likely resemble the Rossion.
