Supercharged Farbio can threaten the establishment

What is it?

This is the most powerful model on offer from Farbio. The GTS-400 weighs just 1060kg and uses a mid-mounted supercharged 3.0-litre V6 to shove 410bhp and 340lb ft to the rear wheels via a six-speed gearbox.

What’s it like?

It’s easy to disregard unfamiliar marques when deciding which £90k sports car to buy. Why trust a gang of blokes from Bumpkin-on-the-Yonder with your cash when Porsche, Audi or Aston will happily look after it? The Farbio GTS-400 could be the answer.

The wishbone suspension and Bilstein dampers (front and rear) give excellent pliancy over broken tarmac and make the car easy and enjoyable to steer over tricky British roads. Despite this, body roll just doesn’t happen and the joyously precise chassis goes a long way to helping control a sudden boost from the supercharger when it kicks in at 4000rpm.

Even the interior is a nice place to be, with well finished high-quality materials and an impressively usable touch-screen. Before you notice any of that you’ll be trying to adjust to a seating position that places you almost on the front axle with acres of carbon fibre behind you. It’s an odd sensation, but one that proves to be easy to get used to and also one that actually aids good visibility and a precise sense of where you’re placing the car.

Should I buy one?

The Farbio GTS-400 achieves nothing new by being British, handmade, lightweight or powerful, but it is certainly a company that deserves credit for creating a car that is all of those things and also comfortable, well-built and polished enough to be a true threat to the established competition.

Vicky Parrott

Vicky Parrott

Vicky Parrott has been a motoring journalist since 2006, when she eventually did so much work experience at Autocar that it felt obliged to give her a job.

After that, she spent seven years as a features and news writer, video presenter and road tester for Autocar, before becoming deputy road test editor for What Car? in 2013. After five years with What Car?, Vicky spent a couple of years as associate editor of DrivingElectric and then embarked on a freelance career that has seen her return to writing for Autocar and What Car? as well as for The Daily Telegraph and many others.

Vicky has been a Car of the Year juror since 2020, and the proud owner of a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300-SL 24V since 2017. She aspires to own an Alpine A110 and a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.

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Comments
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BriMarsh 6 August 2011

Re: Farbio GTS-400

jskater wrote:
One of few cars that stir school-boy-esque lust within me. I really want one.
I know what you mean, even if this thread is an unexpected balst from the past. Still looked stunning at Goodwood this year with its new Ginetta badge. And I know some people are sniffy about V6s, but I thought it sounded magnificent considering it's a modest 3litres.

Peter Cavellini 6 August 2011

Re: Farbio GTS-400

Wasn't this car road tested by this mag last year?

jskater 5 August 2011

Re: Farbio GTS-400

Admittedly it's expensive, but I think this must be one of the most over-looked cars on the market.

One of few cars that stir school-boy-esque lust within me. I really want one.