The GBS Zero Project is finally completed

You will have seen in recent editions of the Oily Rag and also in the news, that we have been behind an exciting new project to build a car from scratch, using Motul oils in the  making and for the running of the car. The partnership project with bespoke UK car manufacturer Great British  Sport Cars (GBS) will create the Motul Edition GBS Zero.

The project to build this unique MOTUL EDITION GBS ZERO was formed from a special partnership with UK car manufacturer, Great British Sports Cars  (GBS), Witham Motorsport and Motul. The lightweight hand-crafted sports car was built by the Nottinghamshire engineering company and from its machining  of metal billets through all of the necessary turning, drilling and assembly processes, we believe this is the first car in the world to be made and run on lubricants from the same manufacturer, in this case Motul.

From cutting oils to hydraulic fluids used in the manufacturing process to make all the parts, to fluids used throughout the car, including: engine oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid, engine coolant, and greases, this car has been made to a performance standard with very special specifications. The car has Motul uniquely sculpted onto, or etched into, the brake callipers, headlamp covers, interior upholstery and even the chassis itself.

Livery competition 

In May, we launched a brand new ‘GBS Zero – Motul Edition’ competition on our website and across our social media channels. The competition asked people to have a go at designing the livery of the new car, with the chance to win a Family Pass to the Classic at Silverstone, a whole range of Motul merchandise – and of course the chance to see their design on the completed car!

Following an intensive judging process by our panel made up of Motul, Witham Motorsport and GBS Zero directors, the winner of the best design idea was  Martin Lines from Bedfordshire. The panel praised his ingenious use of all of the GBS Zero and Motul creative branding elements. Martin joined us to see his design come to life at the unveiling of the car at Silverstone Classic, as well as winning an exclusive tour of the GBS factory in Ollerton. Our under 16’s category prize winner was Kaira Milburn, aged 10, from Maidstone in Kent. Her amazing, colourful design has won her family tickets for the event, along with a selection of Motul merchandise.

The specifications

The ultra-lightweight Zero sports car is powered by a 2.5 litre Ford Duratec engine, specially prepared by Neil Brown Engineering, the company that provides the motive power for the UK FIA Formula 4 championship – a series where Motul is proud to be the lubricant partner, providing the spec engine oil for all  xompetitors. With a 240BHP unit, a dry sump oil system, ATR throttle bodies and a kerb weight of only 600kg, the Motul-Edition GBS Zero will have a power to weight ratio of almost 500BHP/Tonne, which will make it extremely rapid.

Here are the car’s specifications

• Gen 2 Chassis
• NBE 2.5 Duratec Engine With Dry Sump Kit
• 5 Speed Manual Gearbox
• ATR Throttle Bodies
• 42mm 4_2_1 Exhaust Manifold
• Carbon Fibre Finishing Panels
• Rear Di_user
• LED DRL Headlights
• ATR Bespoke Motul Adjustable Suspension
• ATR Bespoke Motul Brakes
• Front – ATR 300mm Floating Disc 4 Pot Caliper
• Rear – Disc and Aluminium Caliper Upgrade
• Motul Bespoke Interior
• Push Start Button
• Momo Quick Release Steering Wheel
• Carbon Dash With Smith Gauges
• Heated Bespoke Motul Sports Seats
• GBS TRS Adjustable 4 Point Seat Belts
• Sparco Flow Forge Wheels
• Yokohama AD08 Tyres
• Full Vehicle Dress Kit

The build has been captured in an amazing video…

In preparation for the car being the star of the Motul stand at The Classic at Silverstone, work on the project was well underway – the special Ford Duratec engine was installed, all of the individual parts that could be were Motul branded and the first spray of the bodywork took place before Martin’s livery design was applied. A special video of the amazing story behind the car project is captured here:

The car was finally revealed on the Media Day at The Classic – Silverstone

The car going forward

The GBS Zero Motul Edition will be used to promote Motul products and British engineering and will be seen with customers and our drivers and race teams, throughout the UK.

As Motul UK Distributors, Witham Motorsport are the driving force behind the project. As Managing Director, Nigel Bottom explains;

We have been  supplying Motul products to Great British Sports Cars for some time and, having had the chance to meet Richard (Hall) and tour the factory, I was hugely impressed by the depth of their engineering skill, by their innovative ideas and by the fact that there was potentially a great story to be told, on the start-to-finish and beyond part, that Motul plays in the construction of this GBS Zero. The idea of a Motul-Edition seemed like a logical extension of this and so we embarked on what is a truly novel venture for a lubricant brand. We are delighted with the result and the car has attracted a lot of interest.

Motul has many exciting partnerships in which it is active around the world, but Silverstone’s Classic has been chosen as the venue for the car to make its public debut for a number of reasons, as Motul’s UK Business Development Manager Andy Wait explains.

We were delighted earlier this year to announce our partnership with Silverstone for The Classic. It is a huge festival of enthusiast motoring, with more than 100,000 people expected, so we wanted to make our first appearance there memorable and, therefore, to have the climax of the Motul GBS Zero initiative at Silverstone seems apt. Also, of course, the car shape has a retro look and feel to it, so it its in with the spirit of the classic event, as well as, offering us a great chance to showcase so much of what Motul can offer to the public.

Richard Hall from GBS said:

We are so proud of this build and have enjoyed immensely working with the WItham Motorsport Team and Motul.” At GBS, we want to be seen as the leaders in what we’re doing and making the best cars. And Motul is world-renowned for making the best fluids in motorsport and on the road. So, it was a really nice synergy between the two companies. Through Witham we stock Motul and put it in all our cars and recommend it to our  xustomers. But we have to educate our customers. Many don’t understand the importance of fluids, but once they see the benefits, it’s a no-brainer ourselves included. When we first started the CNC machining, we were using a general cutting fluid, but when we switched to the high-performance Motul products, the difference was dramatic.

To keep up to date with the GBS Zero – Motul Edition and what happens next, visit our website here.