Update on the development of SCG 004S & SCG 004CS sports cars

The SCG 004S is powered by a supercharged, 650 BHP, V8 engine supplied by GM. The gearboxes for both the 004S and 004CS are supplied by CIMA (CIMA Gearboxes).

BHPian SSO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I don't think I have ever posted an update on the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) 004's development here but there are a few on karenable.com.

A bit of background on SCG, they have been around as a race car manufacturer and team since 2010. The big change however came in July 2017 when SCG registered with NHTSA in order to make road-legal cars in the United States. The SCG 004 is SCG’s second car after the multi-race winning 003. The SCG 004S/CS is SCGs first production road car and it will meet all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. SCG has aggressive plans for a full range of road and race cars which I touched on in an earlier article “The Ambitious Plans of Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus”. SCG was on the grid at Le Mans for the first time this year with two SCG 007 in the Hypercar Class. They finished a highly respectable 4th and 5th, missing the podium by only 2 minutes and 34 seconds. SCG is offering a completely Le Mans race support package for $6 million, including the car. SCG has also indicated that they will build 25 road legal 007s if there is sufficient interest. I hope they do as a road-legal 007 would be something awesome to behold.

In Jim’s words:

“The SCG004 has been an amazing journey. Developing and building a fully compliant car that stayed true to its mission of an old school, yet modern sports car, with the soul of its GT3 sister, was a complicated journey. Transferring the modular assembly of the race version to the road version was very important. It allowed a platform that could be easily worked on and quickly improved. Once I began driving various prototypes, I was able to work with our team to change things that would make it exactly what I wanted it to be. Over 40 years I have driven exotic cars about 1,000,000 miles on the road in many conditions. Sports Cars are dreams on dream roads but what makes them special is how they react to rain, snow, one-hundred-degree days, bumpy roads and everyday driving. Developing TC/ESC/ABS that gently helped keep the car safe without obtrusively interfering with its desired character.

Testing, tweaking, and testing again. Her bones are great. She's light and nimble. The near-production finished mule is only 2600 LBS and as sports cars have gotten heavier, she stands out. Her engine (S) has massive torque and on the road, torque is what you want. Her CS engine will have even more and her aero, which is at the limit of what road-legal tires can handle really sticks the car and gives you confidence. She's drivable in the snow. She's drivable in the rain. Her heat and air conditioner work well and her embedded electrical de-mister wires are a joy with a very curved windshield. The crash tests are almost done, high-speed testing at Nardo in mid-January and finally, we'll begin building customer cars. It's been a long, amazing journey and looking out from her center driver's seat, I really believe our future looks bright.”

The SCG 004S, and the more track-focused SCG 004CS, will be the first fully road-legal three-seater cars with a center driving position sold in the US. The SCG 004 is built around a carbon-fiber tub, with all carbon fiber body panels. The SCG 004S is powered by a supercharged 650 bhp V8 supplied by GM. The gearboxes for both the 004S and 004CS are supplied by CIMA (CIMA Gearboxes). In the 004S, it's a 6-speed manual with a larger road clutch and in the 004 CS, it's a 7-speed paddle-shift with an automatic clutch. SCG believes CIMA gearboxes are the best choice for ultra-high torque applications. The suspension on both is an inboard pushrod. The SCG 004CS, will also have an extra 200 bhp, center lock wheels and more aggressive aero.

SCG is now moving full speed ahead with final development and testing on the 004S. As soon as the final crash test and the high-speed testing are completed at Nardo in Q1 2022, production will be ready to start at the new Danbury factory. Work on the electronics is almost finished and the Traction Control / ABS is an added bonus that wasn’t originally planned but got added to the development plan to meet full US DOT requirements. Meeting these requirements has been a major eight-figure investment for SCG that just serves to show how committed Jim is to make it a success. From what I understand, our SCG 004S will likely be delivered in Q2 2022.

While I am yet to drive an SCG 004S, I have sat in one of the development mules. There is a significant amount of both head and legroom with the fully adjustable Sabelt seat and adjustable steering column. The central driving position feels near perfect, and visibility is excellent given the large wrap-around windshield. The large metal gated shifter is intuitively placed on the right and slightly forward. The gearbox action felt firm and has a wonderful metal “clink” when you slot each gear. All the controls are within easy reach and the dashboard gauges are aesthetically clean and easy to read at a glance. The cockpit on the road cars is very light and airy with the glass roof. The amount of room that the two passenger seats have is impressive. Both passenger seats are mounted just behind the driver’s seat which provides extra leg and shoulder room. There is room for a medium-size duffle bag in-between the two passenger sears. The left side passenger seat can comfortably accommodate an individual up to 6’4” and on the right side on the manual gearbox versions, it’s a bit more modest by still ample. Either side is far more comfortable than the back seats in any 2+2 I have ever sat in. The attention to detail, even on the development mules, was very impressive.

I have heard that customer test drives will be available starting in early 2022. I will definitely try to set one up. A few journalists have driven the SCG 004S and reviews are starting to appear online and in different publications. To date, the reviews have been quite positive with one journalist commenting that the steering, handling, and gearbox were as good as any car he had ever driven. I would call this highly complementary given he was driving a development mule. Octane Magazine has a review coming out in their Jan. 2022 edition.

What has been totally different to any other car I have ever ordered is the amount of transparency Jim & Jesse Glickenhaus provide on all the other cars SCG is developing and the racing programs. The Glickenhaus’ regularly post updates to a private message feed, on Twitter, and on Instagram. As a “Founder” I do get information well before its public release which makes you feel like you are very much part of the development process. It’s been a very unique experience. The net result is that I feel much more part of the company than simply being a customer. I can’t wait to sit down and spec our SCG 004S in early 2022.

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