Aprilia-powered Racecar Breaks Lap Record At COTA

Our collective love for the Aprilia RSV4 engine is well documented here at MO, so pardon us for a second as we indulge in car news. However, this isn’t just any car news – we’re talking single-seater racecars. More to the point, a single-seater powered by an Aprilia RSV4 engine. The car is called the G1, and it comes from Israeli company Griiip. Over in Europe there’s a dedicated racing class for these cars, but here in the U.S. the G1 is eligible for the Formula 1000 class specifically for racecars powered by 1,000cc motorcycle engines.

We recently received news from our friends at Griiip about a test they did at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas with the G1 – the first time the team have conducted a test in the U.S. Intended to be a shakedown run to get familiar with the car and the demands CotA requires, the team brought in current Formula 1000 driver Alex Mayer to put the car through its paces. It appears like Mayer acclimated himself to the car nicely, as on the second day of testing he set a time of 2:08.65 – half a second faster than the existing lap record, with more speed still on the table, says Mayer. For reference, Marc Marquez set a time of 2:03.65 to qualify on pole for this year’s MotoGP race.

While we’re not experts in car racing, one of the things we love most about the RSV4 engine is how amazing it sounds at full song. Beyond that, however, Aprilia have done a great job with the fueling of the engine, meaning the communication between the throttle and the engine is superb. We can only guess these are the same sensations Mayer and the rest of the drivers who have piloted the G1 are experiencing. In case you’re curious what a fast lap aboard the G1 around the Circuit of the Americas looks like – or sounds like – hop on board with Mayer as he takes you around. Also, pay attention to the lap time in the upper right corner – he’s still nearly two seconds off his eventual fastest lap.