Spyder's rev

Jack-of-all-trades Nick Tomkinson, from Airport West, had a dream to build his own road racer. That's not unusual in itself - many of us have fast-car fantasies. The difference is he has actually built his awesome Redback Spyder dream machine - two of them, to be precise.

And at the Melbourne International Motor Show the 40-year-old will show off his own, fully operational 320km/h Redback racer.

And he's happy to make one for anyone else who wants one - for a mere $250,000. "I would just break even on that," he says.

"But honestly for me this is as much about having fun as it is about money.

"I never started this program to sell cars. It was simply a dream to build my own car with everything I could want on it. And it turned out better than I could have hoped."

Tomkinson's small company, Carbontech, builds replica Lamborghinis for customers. He reasoned that if he could make dead-ringer Italian exotics he could just as easily design his own "perfect" car.

Starting with computer-aided design (CAD) modelling - just like the big multinational carmakers - Tomkinson got to work to build a show car for the 2002 Melbourne International Motor Show.

Arguably Tomkinson's most amazing achievement was to get more than 40 firms on board to help put his car together, from parts suppliers to computer specialists. The deal was they would display their products through the car at the show and in a magazine spread.

But it was the web - or specifically an American millionaire named Mill Conroy searching the web - that grew the little Spyder, then little more than a static display vehicle, into the raging Redback on display at this year's event.

Conroy saw a picture of the Redback on the internet and phoned from across the Pacific saying he wanted one regardless of cost. One handshake and one deposit later, Tomkinson had the backing to build his dream machine.

"I spent an extraordinary amount of money, both mine and Mill's, to make it happen," Tomkinson admits.

"But the main thing is it doesn't cost much more to build two cars than it does to build just one.

"After I built Mill's car, which took two years, I started on my own. It took six months because the design work had already been done. I've only just finished but I think it looks amazing.

"It's the first time I've seen one in painted form because the first one left Australia with primer only, to be painted over there."

The second Redback Spyder has a number of changes from Conroy's original version.

Tomkinson's car is powered by a normally aspirated 5.7-litre Chevrolet LS1 V8 with 335kW produced by marine engine builder Rolco Racing, while the Conroy Redback has a supercharged LS1 with about 420kW.

The second car has a six-speed manual transmission, while the original has a ZF five-speed automatic salvaged from a Porsche.

But weighing less than 1000kg, the Redback Spyder is awesomely quick in either form.

The attention to detail on both Redbacks is stunning. The deadly arachnid of the same name is etched into the nickel-plated fittings, stitched into the leather seats and even watermarked into the windshield.

Carbontech, with its relatively modest equipment, produced the 18in wheels, chassis and body, along with pushrod suspension struts that become progressively stiffer as more pressure is applied to the suspension.

The car's brakes are discs with four-pot calipers all round, while suppliers have provided items including the Momo steering wheel (AutoTek), paint (PPG Industries) and tyres (Goodyear Australia).

"I don't know what happens in the future after the Melbourne Motor Show," Tomkinson admits. "I know that Rolco Racing wants to show it off, as does Electromold, which is the company that did all the anodising, polishing and etching.

"I've sunk $500,000 of my own time and money into the project and, yes, the wife knows - she does the bookwork.

"But if I don't sell any more Redbacks, I don't really mind. It's kept me busy for five years and allowed me to keep paying my staff over that time.

"I'm currently building six Lamborghini replicas which cost $150,000 each so business is going well.

"But if someone wants a Redback you'll have to pay a two-thirds deposit and then go away and let me get on with it. In nine months' time it will be ready to have the key turned."