This is an original 1998 Panoz AIV Roadster, a V8-powered American-made car developed in the spirit of lightweight roadsters like the Lotus 7.
The AIV Roadster has a curb weight of 2,570 lbs (or 1,170 kgs) and 305 bhp from its Ford-sourced 4.6 liter DOHC Modular 32 valve V8. It was one of the quickest accelerating American cars of its time, and it can still wipe the floor with many modern sports cars today.
Fast Facts: The Panoz AIV Roadster
- The Panoz AIV Roadster was a lightweight, V8-powered American roadster built in the spirit of the Lotus 7. Its name stood for “Aluminum Intensive Vehicle,” and the car is 70% aluminum by weight. It was produced from 1996 to 2000, with 176 production examples built alongside six earlier prototypes.
- Power comes from a 4.6 liter DOHC 32 valve V8 sourced from the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra, producing 305 bhp and 300 lb ft of torque. At just 2,570 lbs, the AIV could hit 62 mph in 4.3 seconds – far quicker than the 821 lb heavier Cobra it shared its drivetrain with.
- Panoz is no longer in operation, but many AIV Roadsters survive in excellent condition thanks to their corrosion-resistant aluminum structure and passionate owners. The use of off-the-shelf Ford drivetrain components, brakes, and suspension means owners can source most spare parts with relative ease and without excessive cost.
- This 1998 example is finished in black over tan leather and is powered by the SVT V8 paired with a Borg-Warner T45 5-speed manual and a limited-slip differential. The seller has added roughly 1,000 of its 42,000 miles since 2020, and it’s offered with a clean Oregon title.
History Speedrun: The Panoz AIV Roadster
The Panoz AIV Roadster was a vehicle that could only have been made by a low-volume automaker, it was fitted with a cutting edge extruded aluminum spaceframe chassis with a central backbone that offered excellent rigidity, a low weight, and high levels of corrosion resistance. The process to build each car was intensive however, requiring at least 350 hours of labor per vehicle.
Above Video: This is the original MotorWeek review of the Panoz AIV Roadster from 1998. It gives an excellent overview of the car, and it includes plenty of driving footage to give you an idea of what driving the car is really like.
The name AIV stood for “Aluminum Intensive Vehicle” and it wasn’t just a marketing gimmick, the vehicle is 70% aluminum by weight including the chassis, engine, and body. As a result of this extensive use of lightweight aluminum alloys, it has a curb weight of only 2,570 lbs (or 1,170 kgs).
Power is provided by the 4.6 liter DOHC Modular 32 valve V8 from the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra, and the same 5-speed transmission was also used.
Whereas the Mustang SVT Cobra had a 0 to 62 mph time of 5.9 seconds, the Panoz AIV Roadster could do it in just 4.3 seconds due to the fact it was 821 lbs lighter, this was despite the fact that both cars had the same engine producing 305 bhp at 5,800 rpm and 300 lb ft of torque at 4,800 rpm.
Unlike the Panoz Roadster that came before it, a vehicle with a tubular steel frame and a live axle rear end, the Panoz AIV Roadster was developed with independent front and rear suspension. This, coupled with four wheel disc brakes, resulted in it being one of the quickest production cars in the United States around most circuits in the country.
This was a good thing considering the fact that at the same time, the parent company of Panoz Auto Development, owned the American Le Mans Series, Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Mosport International Raceway, and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA).
The AIV Roadster would remain in production from 1996 to 2000, in total there would be 176 production examples made, along with an earlier 6 prototypes.
The AIV Roadster has a curb weight of 2,570 lbs (or 1,170 kgs) and 305 bhp from its Ford-sourced 4.6 liter DOHC Modular 32 valve V8. It was one of the quickest accelerating American cars of its time, and it can still wipe the floor with many modern sports cars today.
Almost 30 years have now passed since the model was first introduced, and sadly Panoz is now no more, but thanks to the aluminum chassis and body, and the use of the relatively bulletproof Ford V8, many of the cars have survived in excellent condition.
The one key benefit of the decision to buy the engine, drivetrain, differential, brakes, and suspension from other companies off the shelf is that owner’s are typically able to source most spare parts with relative ease and without breaking the bank.
The 1998 Panoz AIV Roadster Shown Here
This is a 1998 Panoz AIV Roadster, it has a tan leather interior with a black superplastic-formed aluminum body with fiberglass cycle-style front fenders mounted over its lightweight aluminum chassis. The car has chrome trim, wind wings, rear stone guards, a clamshell hood, and it’s being offered with a black soft top and a set of side curtains.
This Panoz rides on Kosei-Roush 18 inch five-spoke alloy wheels shod with Continental ExtremeContact tires up front and Bridgestone Potenza rubber out back. The has adjustable coilover suspension, and braking is handled by power-assisted discs at all four corners.
The bucket seats are trimmed in tan leather that extends to the console, dashboard, and door panels. Interior appointments include drilled aluminum pedals, a billet aluminum Panoz-branded shift knob, a flat-bottom Nardi steering wheel, an Eclipse CD stereo, and air conditioning. The centrally mounted instrument cluster houses a 160 mph speedometer, an 8,000 rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges.
This is an original 1998 Panoz AIV Roadster, a V8-powered American-made car developed in the spirit of lightweight roadsters like the Lotus 7.
As you might expect, power comes from a 4.6 liter V8 sourced from Ford’s SVT division, which produces 300 bhp and 305 lb ft of torque. It’s paired with a Borg-Warner T45 5-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, sending power to the rear wheels.
The seller bought the car in 2020 and has since added approximately 1,000 of the 42,000 miles shown on the six-digit odometer. The car is now offered with a clean Oregon title in the seller’s name out of Oregon City, Oregon and you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
