Arash Motor

{{Short description|British automobile manufacturer}} {{Primary sources|date=March 2026}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}} {{Use British English|date=August 2017}} {{Infobox company | name = Arash Motor Company Limited | former_names = Farboud Limited (2000–2006)<ref name="CompaniesHouse">{{cite web |date=2000-11-27 |title=Arash Motor Company Limited overview |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04114867 |website=[[Companies House]] |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> | logo = Arash Motor Company logo.svg | type = [[Privately held company|Private]] | founded = {{Start date and age|1999}} in [[Newmarket, Suffolk]] | founder = Arash Farboud | industry = [[Automotive]] | website = {{URL|https://arashcars.com}} }}

'''Arash Motor Company Limited''' is a British [[sports car]] manufacturer based in [[Newmarket, Suffolk]]. It was established as Farboud Limited in 1999 by Arash Farboud, and renamed in 2006.<ref name="CompaniesHouse"/>

The company specializes in low-volume production of high-performance vehicles. As a "Micro" entity registered with [[Companies House|UK Companies House]], it operates with fewer than 10 employees and reports a balance sheet under £500,000.<ref name="endole">{{cite web |title=Arash Motor Company Limited |url=https://open.endole.co.uk/insight/company/04114867-arash-motor-company-limited |website=Endole |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> Production capacity is reported to be fewer than three cars per year.<ref name="hotcars">{{cite web |title=10 British Sports Cars So Rare You'll Never See Them In Real Life |url=https://www.hotcars.com/10-british-sports-cars-so-rare-youll-never-see-them-in-real-life/ |website=HotCars |date=2021-07-19 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref>

The company has developed four models to date: the Farboud GT, the Farboud GTS, the AF-8, and the AF-10. The AF-8 and AF-10 are the company's current production models, alongside the electric Imperium concept.<ref name="carbuzz-imperium">{{cite web |title=British Supercar Startup Building New Electric Hypercar |url=https://carbuzz.com/news/british-supercar-startup-building-new-electric-hypercar/ |website=CarBuzz |date=2021-06-02 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Foundation and early development (1999–2005) === The company was founded in 1999 by Arash Farboud, an Iranian-born British entrepreneur. It was officially incorporated as Farboud Limited on 27 November 2000.<ref name="CompaniesHouse"/>

The company's first vehicle was the Farboud GT, developed in 1999 and presented at the Autosport International show in Birmingham in 2002.<ref name="ultimate-gt">{{cite web |title=2002 Farboud GT |url=https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/6005/Farboud-GT.html |website=UltimateCarPage.com |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> This was followed by the Farboud GTS concept, shown in 2003 and officially launched at the British Motorshow in London in 2004.<ref name="youtube-arash">{{cite web |title=ARASH SUPERCAR |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN6Xwz2O1LY |website=YouTube |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref>

=== 2005 split and Farbio formation === A critical divergence occurred in 2005. Chris Marsh, whose father Jem Marsh co-founded [[Marcos Engineering]], was working with Arash Farboud as a sales representative.<ref name="carthrottle">{{cite web |title=Ginetta Purchases Farbio, Bringing it to the U.S |url=https://www.carthrottle.com/news/ginetta-purchases-farbio-bringing-it-us |website=CarThrottle |date=2010-03-09 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> Marsh was granted a license to use the GTS design in exchange for shares in a new, separate company.<ref name="autoblog">{{cite web |title=Farboud changes its name to Farbio |url=https://www.autoblog.com/features/farboud-changes-its-name-to-farbio |website=Autoblog |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref>

Marsh's team simplified the design, substituting the [[Audi RS4]]-based racing engine with a more cost-effective [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] [[V6 engine|V6]].<ref name="youtube-arash"/> Following a dispute in 2005, Marsh renamed the car "Farbio." An initial attempt to use "Fangio" was blocked by the [[Juan Manuel Fangio|Formula 1 driver]]'s family.<ref name="youtube-arash"/>

Arash Farboud sold his shares in the Farbio entity to Michael Simmonds, while retaining 100% ownership of the original Farboud Ltd.<ref name="youtube-arash"/> Farbio Sports Cars began production of the Ford-powered Farbio GTS in 2007. The design was later sold to Laurence Tomlinson of [[Ginetta Cars]], which renamed it the [[Ginetta F400]].<ref name="carthrottle"/>

=== Rebranding and current operations (2006–present) === After the 2005 split, Farboud Ltd. was renamed Arash Motor Company in 2006.<ref name="CompaniesHouse"/> The company remains an active private limited company based in Newmarket, Suffolk.<ref name="CompaniesHouse"/>

The company's longevity is supported by its funding model. According to a 2009 interview, the company was financed by Arash Farboud's other successful family-owned business, Unisurge, a medical packaging supplier.<ref name="gulfnews">{{cite web |title=Arash Motor to offer powercar in Middle East early next year |url=https://gulfnews.com/business/arash-motor-to-offer-powercar-in-middle-east-early-next-year-1.554941 |website=Gulf News |date=2009-11-05 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> Farboud described the car company as a "hobby" he was turning into a business, with an investment of about £5 million to develop the AF-10.<ref name="gulfnews"/>

=== Farboud GT (2002) === The Farboud GT was the company's first model, a one-off prototype presented at the Autosport International show in Birmingham in 2002.<ref name="ultimate-gt"/> It featured a 2.8-litre Audi V6 twin-turbo engine producing {{convert|620|bhp|kW|abbr=on}}.<ref name="ultimate-gt"/>

=== Farboud GTS (2003–2005) === The Farboud GTS was shown as a concept car at Autosport International in 2003 and launched at the British Motorshow in 2004.<ref name="youtube-arash"/> Three prototypes were built with a {{convert|620|bhp|kW|abbr=on}} Audi V6 twin-turbo engine. This should not be confused with the later Farbio GTS production car, which used a Ford V6.

=== Arash AF10 (2009 concept) === In 2009, Arash displayed the first AF10 concept, featuring a [[Chevrolet Corvette]]-[[General Motors LS-based small-block engine|sourced]] 7.0-litre [[V8 engine]] producing {{convert|500|bhp|kW|abbr=on}}.<ref name="carmag">{{cite web |title=Arash AF-10 supercar (2010) unveiled |url=http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/First-Official-Pictures/Arash-AF-10-unveiled/ |website=Car Magazine |date=2009-11-09 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> This conventional supercar was not put into production.

=== Arash AF10 (2016 hybrid) === A revised AF10 was revealed at the 2016 [[Geneva Motor Show]] with a completely different [[hybrid vehicle drivetrain|hybrid drivetrain]].<ref name="jalopnik">{{cite web |title=Arash Says It Will Sell You A 2,080 Horsepower Hybrid With A Gated Manual For $1.5 Million |url=http://jalopnik.com/is-that-supposed-to-be-a-bad-thing-1762189410 |website=Jalopnik |date=2016-03-01 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> It combines a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 with four electric motors for a manufacturer-claimed total output of {{convert|2080|hp|kW|abbr=on}} and {{convert|2280|N.m|lbf.ft|abbr=on}} of torque.<ref name="carbuzz-af10">{{cite web |title=The Arash AF10: The 2,080-HP British Hypercar You've Never Heard Of |url=https://carbuzz.com/arash-f10-hypercar-history/ |website=CarBuzz |date=2025-01-15 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref><ref name="gtspirit2016">{{cite web |url=https://gtspirit.com/2016/03/01/geneva-2016-arash-af10/ |title=Geneva 2016: Arash AF10 |website=GTspirit |date=2016-03-01 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> The electric motors are powered by a 32-kWh [[lithium-ion battery]].<ref name="autoevo2016">{{cite web |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/arash-af10-hybrid-storms-geneva-with-2080-horsepower-104874.html |title=Arash AF10 Hybrid Storms Geneva with 2,080 Horsepower |website=autoevolution |date=2016-02-22 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> According to the manufacturer, the vehicle achieves 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds.<ref name="carbuzz-af10"/>

=== Arash AF8 (2014–present) === The AF8 was designed by Arash and revealed at the [[Geneva Motor Show]] in 2016.<ref name="autocar">{{cite web |title=New 200mph Arash AF8 supercar unveiled |url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-200mph-arash-af8-supercar-unveiled |website=Autocar |date=2014-02-28 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> It features a carbon/steel tubed chassis and a mid-mounted 7.0-litre [[General Motors LS-based small-block engine#LS7|GM LS7]] V8 engine producing {{convert|505|bhp|kW|abbr=on}} in standard form or {{convert|550|bhp|kW|abbr=on}} in the Cassini variant.<ref name="autocar"/><ref name="ultimate-af8">{{cite web |title=2014 Arash AF8 |url=https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/6004/Arash-AF8.html |website=UltimateCarPage.com |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref>

=== Imperium (2021–present) === The Imperium is the company's electric hypercar concept, first detailed in a 2021 company document.<ref name="imperium-pdf">{{cite web |title=Imperium |url=https://arashcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Imperium.pdf |website=Arash Motor Company |date=2021-06-01 |access-date=2025-11-18}}</ref> It features a pure electric drivetrain with four electric motors, built on a single-piece [[carbon fiber]] monocoque chassis.<ref name="imperium-pdf"/> The vehicle represents the company's pivot to electric vehicle technology.<ref name="carbuzz-imperium"/>

== In video games == The AF10 and AF8 Falcon Edition both appear in the video games ''[[Asphalt 8: Airborne]]'' and ''[[Asphalt Legends]].''<ref name="carbuzz-af10"/>

== See also == * [[Automotive industry in the United Kingdom]] * [[List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{official website|http://www.arashcars.com}}

[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1999]] [[Category:Car manufacturers of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Companies based in Suffolk]] [[Category:Sports car manufacturers]] [[Category:1999 establishments in England]]