​Extraordinary race-car manufacturer based in New Zealand’s glorious back country

by The REJIGIT Blog


Update: 07 May 2023

Earlier in 2023 Rodin Cars Ltd bought out the British car racing team Carlin Motorsport and it is proposed to run a Formula One racing team under the banner Rodin Carlin.

In January of this year, Formula One’s managing body the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) announced that they were seeking interest for two additional teams to join the existing ten teams in the Formula One competition.

Rodin Cars managing director David Dicker subsequently registered an interest and it remains for the matter to work its way through the FIA process.

It may be a long shot but it would be a most excellent thing for New Zealand and for Waiau. 

Rejigit applauds David Dicker for his energy and enterprise.

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01 August 2021

Dicker Data Ltd is a very successful Australian based ASX listed company founded by David Dicker in 1978. It operates principally as an Australasian distributor of ICT hardware, software, cloud and IoT solutions for reseller partners. It reported AUD$1bn revenues for 2020 and is targeting AUD$2bn within the foreseeable future. Mr Dicker is also the founder of Rodin Cars in New Zealand.

The company was named after French sculptor Auguste Rodin and the company’s logo is based on Rodin’s bronze sculpture “The Thinker” originally cast circa 1901.

Rodin Cars Ltd has established a 550 ha private race car facility with a 2.4km race circuit at Waiau near Mt Lyford in New Zealand’s South Island where they design, produce and test two very high-end hyper-car models.

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Rodin FZED

The engine is a 3.8-litre Cosworth GPV8 max revs 10,000rpm with maximum power of 503kW available at 9600rpm and 490Nm at 7600rpm. Acceleration 0-160km/h in 5.0sec and a top speed of 300km/h.

Engine specification: Cosworth GPV8. 3,800 cc. 32 Valves. Engine Mass: 135kg & longitudinally mid-mounted. Naturally-aspirated. 8 cylinders in a "V" configuration with a 90 degree bank angle. Cast aluminium alloy cylinder block & heads, Forged aluminium pistons. Steel crankshaft. Double overhead cams driven via compliant gearing from the crankshaft. 8 injectors supplied by a pressurised system at 100 bar. The engine has been designed for reliability with an estimated 5000km run life between rebuilds. The engine is able to run on regular 98-octane fuel.

Vehicle Dimensions: Length 4,904 mm, Width 1,900 mm, Height 960 mm.

Chassis construction: Carbon composite. Nomex® core & aluminium core construction. Autoclave cure, Manufactured by Italy’s HP Composites with a compatible aero package. The chassis design includes an Indycar-style underbody tunnel rather than the traditional flat floor used on most race cars. Weight is 609kg including all fluids and excluding driver.

Car body: Carbon composite body panels & Nomex® core construction.

Braking System: Carbon-Carbon. Split front & rear systems. Twin master cylinders with front/rear bias adjustment. Front & rear Calipers: Mono block 6 pot opposing pistons.

Suspension: Double wishbone. Springs actuated via pushrod & rocker arrangement. Adjustable ride height & camber. Dampers: 4 way adjustable. Front & rear anti-roll bars. Blade type adjustment.

Transmission / Gearbox: Longitudinal layout. Dog engagement. Shift pattern: R-N-1-2-3-4-5-6. Gearshift: Semi-automatic. Paddle shift Pneumatic actuation. Auto throttle blip/ignition cut. Clutch: Triple plate sintered steel.

Safety Fire System: Cockpit & engine bay nozzles. Safety Harness: 6 point F1™ spec harness, Quick release turn buckle. Headrest: Designed to meet FIA regulations.

Performance: Maximum Speed 300 kph (subject to aero configuration). Acceleration 0-100 kph 2.9 sec / 0-160 kph 5.0 sec (subject to prevailing conditions). Maximum Power 675bhp @ 9,200 rpm. Maximum Torque 490Nm @ 7,600 rpm. Maximum RPM 10,000 rpm during normal running. Weight 609 kg (wet).

Price: Rodin Cars advised Rejigit that the Rodin FZED starts at $650,000 USD, with additional costs available to be discussed directly with Rodin Cars.


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Rodin FZERO

Rodin Cars mission statement for the FZero has been to create a car that is quicker than a current Formula 1 Grand Prix race car and with the most compact 4.0-litre 10-cylinder, twin turbo-charged engine possible. The in-house designed Fzero engine will be available in several versions; a standard version powered by a 4 L V10 naturally-aspirated engine generating 700 hp and a turbocharged version generating 1,000 hp which can be upgraded to 1600 hp.

Production of the engine has been carried out by Neil Brown Engineering in Lincolnshire, England with the oversight of renowned engineer Graham Dale-Jones. Gearing is via an eight-speed mechanical sequential gearbox developed by Ricardo PLC. The FZero weighs in at 605 kg and produces an impressive 8,818 lbs of downforce.

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Here’s a YouTube link to get your wheels spinning: A test-bed mounted Cosworth V12 T.50 (not the same Cosworth engine used by Rodin Cars) hitting its entire rev range up to 21,100 rpm and replicating a simulated lap of Le Mans. Go to around 4:20 for the real 🔊