FP1 road bike launched.

The much anticipated road version of the Foggy Petronas Racing FP1 was launched today at the Galeri Petronas, in Kuala Lumpur, in a ceremony officiated by Malaysia's Minister of Youth and Sports Dato' Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and watched by FPR team boss Carl Fogarty.

A total of 150 units of the road version of the FP1 have been manufactured to meet the requirements set by the FIM, before Foggy Petronas Racing could compete in the World Superbike Championship.

The first batch of 75 bikes were manufactured in the United Kingdom and passed inspection in March this year. The second batch was assembled in Malaysia by Petronas. This batch passed FIM's inspection in July.

Of those 150 units, Petronas will make 100 available for the public at a cost of around ?26,600 ($45,000 US). They will be delivered in March 2004.

"There is no doubt that this will be the most beautiful bike on the roads," stated Foggy. "This motorcycle is a credit to Petronas, to Malaysia and everyone who been connected with the project. I am very proud to be associated with the FP1. As the first road bike created from a race bike it combines cutting edge technology with real elegance and has set new standards at the top end of the road bike market."

The FP1 began as a prototype engine undertaken by Sauber Petronas Engineering AG (SPE), a joint venture formed in 1996 between Sauber Holdings and Petronas.

SPE has since progressed from just meeting the engineering needs of the Sauber Formula One Team to embarking on several projects, the most notable of which are the EO1 two-litre car engine and the GP1, the MotoGP aimed prelude to the FP1. Other initiatives included R&D in the areas of fuel and lubricant technology.

The Petronas FP1 - available in three different colours ('panache green', 'exotic black' and 'misty grey') - will be on display at Galeri Petronas, Level 3, Suria KLCC, until 5 November 2003.