In the heart of Norfolk lies an area called Breckland where visitors play golf, go fishing or ride a horse. It’s a picture-postcard scene of bucolic tranquillity - except for one thing; the thunderous noise of Britain’s latest home-grown muscle car, the Breckland Beira.

Pronounced beera, it is a two-seater that slips into the parking space vacated by TVR and Marcos, the defunct British sports car companies. It sets out to offer drivers traditional, brawny sports car values with a modern twist - it can run on liquefied petroleum gas.

Okay, so it’s not here to save the planet, but the Beira’s party trick means that at the flick of a switch, the V8 drinks from its LPG tank instead of the unleaded tank, giving a total potential cruising range of 700 miles. The preproduction model was made available for InGear at last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed – and stirred an enthusiastic reaction from the crowd (but then so did Dick Dastardly and Mutley).

Sitting on the larger, optional 19in alloys and low-profile tyres, the two-seater has a clean, simple design that some will view as refreshingly sober, though extroverts may regard it as timid. It’s a car that will draw passing glances but it won’t leave lookers lusting, as a Ferrari does. The Breckland would benefit from a sprinkling of magic inside too, where there’s a distinct lack of pizzazz. It’s comfortable, with generous seats tailored smartly in a mix of leather and Alcantara, but that’s because the car’s roots lie in America. The Beira is built around the same chassis and cabin that General Motors designed for its Pontiac Solstice roadster.

Under the bonnet Breckland has installed a near-400bhp 6 litre V8; the same “small block” engine that can be found doing such sterling work in the classic Chevrolet Corvette. Turn the key and the engine makes up for the apologetic styling and cabin in a noisy way, rumbling at the sort of decibel level that will raise a grin on every petrolhead’s face.

In topless mode, the Beira growled its way to join the queue for Goodwood’s famous 1.16mile hillclimb. The fabric hood is raised manually, which is quirky when you do it the first time but I suspect would quickly turn into a chore.

With such a short road test on offer I had to suss out the handling quickly. A 180-degree spin did the trick and it was such a peach of a manoeuvre that I wish I’d seen it from the outside. A turn of the power-assisted steering, a heavy dose of right foot and a quick lift of the clutch set the tail sliding round. Breckland tells me traction control will be fitted shortly.

At the start line the countdown began, the revs rose and we were off in a roar, the rear tyres slithering for grip through first gear and the tail only straightening once I’d snatched second. The short tree-lined straight went in a blur as I acclimatised to the punch of the engine, and the 7000rpm limit arrived a moment before slowing for the tricky first right-hand corner. The car turned in neatly enough, the back end followed with a little wiggle and the big V8 block pulled strongly out of it.

Onwards and upwards we flew, past Goodwood House and the large grand-stands that whizzed by briefly at the

edge of my peripheral vision. At 90mph we were still charging hard and fast. The tarmac is pretty smooth so the suspension didn’t have to work too hard for a living, and I suspect it may be slightly too soft as things stand with this prototype.

The gearshift is short and direct in first and second, though third gear requires a map – I might have selected fifth, who knows – but the massive torque covered any potential embarrassment. With a fast 90-degree left-hander looming rapidly, it was a relief to find the all-disc brakes worked well.

Back on the gas, and the soundtrack from the two exhausts echoed between the tall flint wall that’s scarily close to the track on the left, and the hay bales and trees to the right. My smile remained intact. Even crossing the finishing line didn’t stop me stabbing at the throttle to hear more of that thunderous V8 until the marshals asked me to stop.

Considering the project is little more than 12 months old, the Beira is impressively well developed. The fast-tracking from concept to reality stemmed from the fact that Mike Rawlings, Breckland’s director, is used to building low-volume sports cars, having been responsible for American Moslers over the years.

Breckland has saved itself time and money using a GM chassis that’s been crash-tested for safety. This should ensure a good degree of quality control. Sadly, such cost-saving hasn’t led to a bargain-basement showroom price. At about £58,000, it represents a hefty wedge of cash, especially when you consider that critically acclaimed machinery such as the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG (£51,975) and Porsche Boxster S (£39,995), are cheaper and come with proven reputations.

Still, there’s no denying that the brawny engine and rear-drive chassis are a match made in heaven. To realise its dream of selling 150 Beiras a year, Breckland needs to make the car more visually striking, give the interior a bespoke, crafted feel and price it realistically against brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Porsche. Then the thunder of its V8 won’t be confined to Norfolk.

ENGINE 5970cc, eight cylinders
POWER 397bhp @ 6000rpm
TORQUE 400 lb ft @ 4000rpm
TRANSMISSION Six-speed manual
FUEL/CO2 n/a 0-62MPH Under 5sec (est)
TOP SPEED 155mph PRICE about £58,000
TAX BAND G (£400 for a year)
VERDICT Brit muscle lacking pizzazz
RELEASE DATE November

AND THE RIVALS...
Morgan Aero 8 £62,500
ForIt’s British-built
AgainstEverything else, unfortunately

Porsche Boxster S £39,995
ForBenchmark by which other roadsters are judged
AgainstComparatively common; almost too sophisticated