Bristol Project Pinnacle breaks cover at Goodwood

Prototype previews 2017 production model of performance car; has a 4.8-litre BMW V8 engine

A Bristol Project Pinnacle concept car has run up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, offering a first glimpse of what the production model may look like when it goes on sale in 2017.

Bristol hasn't revealed the car’s exact specifications, but we do know it has a naturally aspirated 4.8-litre BMW V8 engine and that its chassis is made from lightweight, carbonfibre composite materials. This is instead of aluminium, which was used on previous Bristols.

The Project Pinnacle was developed in celebration of Bristol's 70th anniversary as a car maker in 2015, and is the first car from the manufacturer since the Fighter sports car, which was on sale from 2004 to 2011.

Although when the Project Pinnacle was first announced there was talk of it being a hybrid, Bristol has chosen to employ a V8. It says this is because this type of engine has become synonymous with its cars over the last 50 years.

The British marque's use of this engine has rekindled a historic partnership with BMW; the first Bristol car, 1947's 400, was based on the BMW 326 and had the BMW 328's engine.

The Project Pinnacle's shapely wings and bonnet intake are reminiscent of old Bristol models, while the 'aero duct' front grille is taken from a Bristol Aeroplane Company engine. The car's looks have been crafted with input from an as-yet unnamed Italian design house. Bristol has previously worked with the likes of Zagato and Bertone.

Bristol says the Goodwood concept will influence a final model that’s due to be revealed later this summer and eventually put into production, most likely sometime in the first quarter of 2017.

The 2017 production car is said to be the last Bristol to have a naturally aspirated V8 engine.