Toniq, The Contemporary Sports Car

The Toniq’s beginnings started with Will Baxter and Colin Williams, both car guys that wanted to make waves in the kit car industry. Starting this dream of creating a different kit car as students was bold and difficult at this point in life. With persistence and some help from other car fanatics they have brought a kit car to the market that hopefully is the beginning of a trend of new and innovative cars.

I recently had some time to spend with Robert Konick, President of the British Racing Group, the Exclusive North America Distributor of the Toniq. One thing that strikes me about Robert is his undying passion for cars. Being part of start-up company is exciting and potentially worry some, especially if one jumps in without a parachute. Success in selling cars or widgets IMO needs passion and clear direction to start. It looks like British Racing Group has a great beginning.

Tell me a little about your car background?

I’ve been a huge fan of British sports cars since my childhood. I grew up in a household with a father who struggled with the decision as to whether to buy a Lotus Eleven or go to college. He ended up heading off to a university to pursue an architectural degree. I followed his lead in both areas and ended up working for the family firm for about 15 years. I enjoyed architecture but often saw it as a means to feed my love for British cars. I bought Triumphs, MG’s, restoring them myself in my own garage. Eventually I purchased my dream car, a Lotus Elise. I was already heavily involved with the Lotus community as an owner of an Elite and actively participated in club events, car shows and served as the VP of Club111 (an Elise owners group).

A few months after I took delivery of one of the first Elise in the US in the fall of 2004, I was sitting at a traffic light and was rear ended by a commercial Ford Econovan traveling at 55MPH. It totaled my car and I suffered a broken neck. I was paralyzed from the neck down. What was truly amazing was the way the sports car and specifically the Lotus community came to my family and my aid. They kept in contact with my wife and I giving us emotional support and even bought my children Christmas gifts that year. Their support helped motivate me during my rehab. I far exceeded the doctors expectations (who said I would never drive a sports car again or walk without a cane) and 3 weeks after the accident, walked out of the hospital on my own.

The experience led me to realize not that life is too short but rather too unpredictable not to do what you really love. I left behind my profession as an architect and turned my sights on the automotive industry. I was determined not only to do something I was passionate about but also to repay the kindness so many had shown me in my darkest hour. I spent the subsequent years working in prestige car sales eventually becoming one of the top sales associates for Lotus. My problem was that I saw such terrible behavior on the part of many people in the dealership end of the process that I became determined on creating a new type of ownership experience. I wanted to create an environment that focused on the owner and not just their needs but also their interests. It was important to create a fully encompassing ownership experience that was based on car enthusiasts working with other enthusiasts to achieve goals rather than the conventional environment which was confrontational. British Racing Group was created as a result to work hand in hand with owners to enable passionate drivers to obtain the most from their ownership of their vehicles.

I have also consulted for several automotive companies and motor-sport organizations.

Where is the business based?

We are currently based in Philadelphia but are going to be announcing a new facility in the western suburbs by years end.

Why the Toniq?

One of the tragedies I have seen in the automotive industry recently is a dilution of brand identity. Porsche is building SUVs and sedans. GM divisions cannibalized each other by creating overlapping products that bucked established marque identities. The list goes on and on. You see cars that used to represent authentic sports car experiences being dumbed-down to appeal to the largest market segment and lose their edge. The Miata is bloated and overweight. The Corvette is trying to get back on track but is still GT no matter how you cut it. Toniq, Lotus, Caterham and a few other manufacturers are the only ones left that are still focused on creating pure sports cars. Toniq gives enthusiasts a unique, contemporary aesthetic interpretation of the classical sports car formula at a relatively affordable price point. Colin Williams and his staff have such a passion for their work and it comes through in every R and CB they create. It is so impressive how they have managed to create such a pure driving experience yet achieve such high levels of refinement. The Toniq is an incredibly easy car to drive right up to it’s limits. It is unique and more thoroughly sorted than a Caterham yet has build quality that exceeds many “main stream” manufacturers.

When is the first Toniq arriving in the USA?

We are expecting the first CB Launch Editions to arrive this summer. The first cars are set up for Duratec MZR drive trains. The second batch of cars will arrive later in the year and will be available with either the MZR or a Renesis 13b Rotary. The R will be available this winter set up for the Kawasaki zx-1400 engine with a paddle shift transmission. Spec series cars can be ordered to accept the Cosworth Duratec 2.0L producing up to 255hp.

Does the car come as kit car, roller or turnkey for the USA market?

This is a really interesting subject for us. One of the concerns we have had is the mess that occurred with the Noble when it arrived in the US. Cars came as rollers and kits and the result was a inconsistent reputation regarding their build quality which plague the cars to this day. Therefore, we have been very hesitant to make kits available to the US market, preferring to market the rollers instead. It also simplifies the warranty process as tighter controls are kept over the product in the factory. All that said, it doesn’t mean we won’t consider marketing kits in the future. We’ll have to see how the market develops.

Just as with the Rossion or Caterham, the cars are sold as rollers and the independent dealers can, under separate contract, assist with the installation of drive-trains for buyers desiring a turn-key option.

What is the price / options?

The CB Roller starts at $34,500 + destination. A CB Spec is priced at $41,800 and is equipped with upgraded brakes, seats, roll cage, harnesses and interchangeable competition nose section with integrated lights.

How does a person order a Toniq?

They can contact our sales department via email at sales@britishracinggroup.com.

How many cars do you plan to sell in a year?

We expect sale to reach a dozen or so during our first, truncated year. As press grows, our PR/ advertising plan is implemented and additional variants are introduced, we project sales to reach around 75-100 cars annually.

Do you plan to expand British Racing Group to other lines of cars?

Absolutely. We already have negotiated deals with other manufacturers which we hope to announce shortly. The key is to assemble a group of products which stay focused on our core demographic and their growth and development rather than try to take the company mainstream. We don’t want to sell Hondas. Hondas are great cars. I have an Acura as a family car. That said, British Racing Group is a brand focused on sports cars and motor-sports. I saw the mistake made over and over again in other companies I worked for. What message does it give a Lotus buyer if the same place they’re buying their Esprit from is selling Toyota Sienna minivans or Dodge Durangos? Even worse, how do you build value into a dealership experience when the buyer has no interest in the majority of features and benefits you offer with your organization. Obviously someone buying a Chevrolet Traverse has no interest in your service departments track experience or your sales persons intimate knowledge of the required track settings for the suspension of an Exige on Road America. The flip side of that is I want to make sure I keep a staff that is focused on those specialized areas rather than introduce individuals who don’t share the passion for our organizations targeted clientele. I have no interest in diluting our brand identity for the sake of mass market appeal or sales. I’d rather stay small, light and agile, able to adapt to market variations than try to make a killing trying to appeal to everyone.