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AN ERA ENDS: ACHIM ANSCHEIDT PASSES THE BATON AT BUGATTI

An era ends: Achim Anscheidt passes the baton at BugattiBugatti Director of Design, Achim Anscheidt has retired from his role, bringing an end to 19 years of his personal oversight of the stylistic evolution of the Bugatti brand. Anscheidt will remain a senior advisor to Bugatti Rimac CEO, Mate Rimac, as the brand prepares to unveil the new hybridized Chiron successor. Achim’s long-standing deputy, Frank Heyl, becomes the new Bugatti Director of Design.Anscheidt, the son of three-time motorbike racing world champion Hans-Georg Anscheidt, started his car design career after being a motorcycle stunt acrobat until his early twenties.

He grew up surrounded by the sounds and smells of motorsport, and had a natural talent for art and perspective drawing. Eventually he combined the two at ACCD in Pasadena, graduating in 1993 and moving into a junior designer role at Porsche Design Weissach. Three years later, he was chosen to lead the Volkswagen Group’s advanced design operations in Barcelona and Berlin at a time when Bugatti was also under VW Group ownership.In 2004 Anscheidt became Design Director at Bugatti, when the Veyron design was mostly finalized but a rapid stylistic development of the product portfolio needed to be undertaken. With Anscheidt’s guidance, models like the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse and Veyron Super Sport became icons of performance. And with special edition models like the innovative Veyron L’Or Blanc with its porcelain applications, the Veyron Edition Hermès and the Legend Editions, Anscheidt and Bugatti pioneered new levels of bespoke craftsmanship. The brand grew in stature and in sales exponentially with Anscheidt’s collaborative influence.

Mate Rimac, Bugatti Rimac CEO said: “Since engaging in my role at Bugatti a couple of years ago, it was obvious that Achim was a crucial component in establishing the next generation of Bugatti hyper sports cars, so I sincerely encouraged him in 2021 to remain with Bugatti for a further three years before retiring. Not only has he very successfully led the stylistic development of a manufacturer renowned for some of the most beautiful cars in the world, but he has also evolved the brand into a true automotive luxury pioneer. His attention to detail and dedication to perfection extends to almost every part of Bugatti today; the visual quality perception, the consequent material philosophy, our communications with our customers and everything else in between. He has ensured that every interaction an individual has with our brand is incomparable by design.

“Achim’s understanding of the Bugatti identity, handed down from our founder Ettore and in the beautiful designs of his son Jean, is unrivalled, and his last commitment to Bugatti was to finalize the design of our next-generation hyper sports car. Without saying too much, it’s Achim’s masterpiece and the most beautiful and authentic evolution of Bugatti I could have imagined. It’s an honor to have Achim continue to develop the brand as our advisor, and with the stunning work that Frank Heyl has already undertaken, the future of Bugatti design is in the very best of hands.”

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, said: “Designing a Bugatti is a skill that only the very best can achieve. Not only do you have the enormous weight of a century of iconic automotive masterpieces on your shoulders, but you also have the complexities of millimeter-perfect packaging and extreme aerodynamic and thermodynamic requirements. To create a car around the W16 engine, and one capable of world record speeds requires a huge amount of balancing aerodynamic forces and active temperature handling. Achim has a very natural technical understanding all these demands, able to craft beauty from necessity.”

Achim Anscheidt said: “When I first arrived at Bugatti, I was inspired to make the famous Bugatti patrons of the past proud – especially Ettore Bugatti and his son Jean, but also Romano Artioli and especially Ferdinand Piëch. Jean was such a visionary of style design and for his life to have been cut so sadly short served as the catalyst for me to evolve the brand in his stylistic vision. I wanted to develop modern day Bugatti into a crowning jewel of brand perception and unique automotive excellence.

“The Veyron, the Chiron and the successor to the Chiron all share this one thing: they are not racecars for the road, they are the pinnacle of Grand Tourisme development, they are an intriguing mixture of a nimble Type 35, the luxury of the Type 41 Royale and the peerless elegance of the Type 57 SC Atlantic.

“I will be forever grateful for having been a part of this incredible developing Bugatti journey, the best is still to come, and I’m truly thankful to all who supported the brand and our design department to help us evolve the brand to a place where I know Ettore and Jean would be proud.”

THE BUGATTI DESIGN DNA
Under Achim’s careful guidance, modern day Bugatti design has evolved to spark a sense of wonder and joy into anyone that is lucky enough to discover one on a public road. Deliberately elegant, sovereign and free from overly aggressive lines, a Bugatti should evoke the same sensation as seeing a genuine and unique artwork. An automotive contrapost of beauty and beast and of utmost quality perception, visible in the refined reflections on the sculpted organic bodywork.

This is the overarching character upon spotting a Bugatti; something almost indescribable that creates a charming moment of automotive excellence with onlookers. But of course, it must also be recognizably Bugatti, and Achim has defined core elements that feature in some way in every model he has designed, including those still to be revealed.

A Bugatti has a distinct and unmistakable DNA. The horseshoe grille is the most precious brand identification symbol, as is the duotone split, used so effectively by Jean Bugatti on his Type 57 creations. The so-called ‘Bugatti Line’ creates a worldwide instantly recognizable sideview profile for every modern-day Bugatti, subtly developed over time to suit each individual Bugatti creation. And an expressive centre line, that traces from the arching crown of the horseshoe grille, across the top of the car flowing into the rear, is a subtle homage to the full-length fin, originating from the purpose-driven famous rivetline of the Type 57 SC Atlantic.

Perhaps most crucially of all, Bugatti design DNA should be ideally created in healthy correlation to its performance challenges. Achim’s philosophy has always been that a truly beautiful and authentic car design should not be engineered first then designed later. The technical requirements and the design must be developed at the same time, and that is especially the case with a Bugatti, complete with the enormously complex aerodynamic and thermodynamic requirements. A car that can travel at more than 400km/h, and with 10 separate radiators and a revolutionary 8.0-liter engine must delicately balance downforce, lift and cooling. This is a design vision developed under Achim’s leadership and known as ‘Form Follows Performance.’

Bugatti designers must have a very solid understanding about state-of-the-art automotive engineering, in order to achieve authentic stylistic ‘win–win’ solutions with Bugatti’s ambitious and talented engineers.

Much like a high-end timepiece, every part of this technical design process must be holistically beautiful. Even with the bodyshell removed, a Bugatti should be a work of art, capable of being displayed and appreciated by anyone who beholds it. It is a passionate undertaking of 360-degree beauty in engineering, from the ground-up. Just as it was with Ettore Bugatti and Jean Bugatti, every single component can standalone as an example of design excellence – “Nothing is too beautiful,” as he famously said.

BESPOKE AND THE COACHBUILDING RENAISSANCE
It has always been a part of Bugatti history that cars can perfectly reflect their owner’s exact desires. And even from the early days of the Veyron, Achim worked to push the boundaries of quality perception, precious materials and excellence in craftsmanship to create extraordinary one-off or few-off masterpieces.

This era of individualization began with the Veyron Pur Sang – a favorite of Achim’s as the first of its kind, but also for its pure and authentic materiality. Essentially an unpainted Veyron – with a visible carbon fiber monocoque and pure polished aluminum – it was a visual representation of Bugatti’s dedication to authenticity in materials. If something looks like carbon fiber, or titanium, or leather or aluminum, then it always is. Achim calls this: ‘What you see is what you get.’

In collaboration with famous brands and organizations, Achim oversaw projects that would push the limits further still. The Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport L’Or Blanc featured porcelain highlights as part of a design that mimicked the light reflections over the exterior body. The Veyron FBG Par Hermès was created in partnership with one of the world’s most famous luxury houses, featuring bespoke exterior touches and numerous interior additions, designed from scratch in the Hermès workshops in Paris.

With the evolution from Veyron to Chiron1, Achim’s design team pioneered a resurgence of the coachbuilding tradition that produced some of the most beautiful Bugatti cars ever to have existed. The modern-day coachbuilding era of Bugatti, all using variants of the Chiron powertrain and chassis, has led to the creation of design icons like Divo2, Centodieci3, the unique La Voiture Noire4, the Bolide5, the Mistral6.

BUGATTI UNSEEN
Although much of Achim’s design work is available for the world to see, a huge amount remains hidden. But designs and ideas are constantly reassessed, able to be reinterpreted in a timeless way for the modern era.

At many points in his career, Achim explored a second model line for Bugatti. In 2009, the Galibier – a four-seat Grand Tourisme – was revealed as a potential future model to join the Veyron. And then in 2015, a design for a V8-powered coupé in the style of the legendary Type 57 SC Atlantic was publicly featured. Neither made it to production, but it remains Achim’s wish that new model lines can still be created in the spirit of Jean Bugatti.

Famously, Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 generated many different coachbuilt body styles, including the four-seat Ventoux, the sweeping two-seater Atalante, the iconic Atlantic and convertible Tourer variants.

IN ORDER TO LOOK FORWARD, YOU MUST LOOK BACK
With an envious back-catalogue of revered automotive designs, Achim’s challenge for modern Bugatti design has been to capture the essence of what made those cars so timelessly elegant, without creating a retro pastiche.

It’s important to understand what the nucleus of the Type 35 is, or what the defining characteristics of the Type 57 SC Atlantic are. Only with a true understanding of these designs is it possible to design something that doesn’t mimic them, but recaptures their beauty for an entirely new era of cultural development and brand value.

A Bugatti would never directly copy, for example, the riveted body panels of the Type 57 SC Atlantic, but it would find inspiration in their purpose. The rivets were a functional performance decision for the Atlantic, beautiful because of their innate sense of purpose. In modern-day Bugatti, this ethos continues.

Much of this stems from the history of Bugatti as a brand born from a family of artists, and a brand with family values, with a passion for racing and a dedication to perfection. Today, these values continue to inspire Achim, instilled into every member of the design team and hard-wired into every Bugatti design. These are the foundations on which the next chapter in Bugatti design will be built.

PASSING THE TORCH
Achim now passes the torch of Bugatti design to Frank Heyl, having overseen the meticulous development of the Chiron successor and further products. His vision for the future of Bugatti – developed with Mate Rimac – is in place until around 2030. So passionate is Achim, that only with complete confidence in having secured a bright future for the brand, is he able to step back from his role. The successor to the Chiron has been undergoing its design process for over two years already and will be revealed only in 2024 before its launch in 2026.

With the imminent design future of Bugatti secured under his leadership, Achim can confidently hand over the reins to his long-time deputy Frank Heyl. The 44-year-old graduated in vehicle design from the Royal College of Art in London and worked at various manufacturers before kickstarting his career at Bugatti in 2008. At Bugatti he was involved in the design of vehicles including the Veyron Supersport, Vision Gran Turismo, Chiron and Divo. He was appointed Head of Exterior Design in 2014 and promoted to Deputy Design Director in 2019. Frank will lead the Bugatti design team, working hand-in-hand with the Bugatti Rimac design and engineering facility in Berlin, which is overseen by Jan Schmid and the Zagreb operation, headed by Ignacio Martinez.

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BAC accelerates global expansion with new dealership in Saudi Arabia

  • BAC Saudi Arabia is launched following the successful dynamic debut of the Mono R at the March 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah
  • Expansion into Saudi Arabia, a strategically pivotal market for BAC, represents the latest stage in the company’s global expansion, having recently appointed brand-new dealership partners in North America and Asia
  • BAC’s presence in Saudi Arabia is in response to strong demand for the Mono range in the country and across the Middle East
  • BAC Saudi Arabia will operate out of regional hubs located in the iconic Saudi Arabian cities of Riyadh and Jeddah

17 July 2023 – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) is continuing to push ahead with its ambitious global expansion roadmap, having today officially unveiled its next-phase growth plans for the Middle East.

Following the recent announcement of three new dealerships across the USA and two new dealerships in Asia, BAC’s expansion within the Middle East is initially being underpinned by a new partnership in Saudi Arabia. It marks the first time the Liverpool, UK-based, supercar manufacturer will have a retail presence in the country.

The new dealership appointment in Saudi Arabia follows the successful dynamic debut of the Mono R in the country at this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which saw the single-seater supercar set the tone for its wide-ranging appeal, impressing spectators, onlookers and the motorsport community with its seamless and high-performance demonstration runs which ran throughout the weekend around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

BAC Saudi Arabia will be run in partnership with Veloce Life, which operates at the heart of the country’s automotive scene, bringing together collectors, drivers and enthusiasts of some of the rarest and most exclusive cars on the planet. The new BAC dealership will operate out of the Riyadh and Jeddah regional hubs, whilst also presenting the Mono line-up at a host of key industry events throughout the region. The first Mono to be delivered to Saudi Arabia – a stunning smoked-visible-carbon Mono R – will be available to view for prospective customers in the country immediately. The first deliveries to customers will commence later this year.   

“I am thrilled to announce our first dealership in Saudi Arabia,” said Ian Briggs, BAC co-founder and design director. “There are very few places in the world that can match Saudi Arabia’s enthusiasm and passion for beautifully bespoke, high-performance and unique automotive creations like the Mono range, a point that was further underscored earlier this year when we received a remarkable response to Mono R’s dynamic on-track performance at the Grand Prix in Jeddah. The fact that we are now growing the BAC community into the Middle East is further proof that we are on track to deliver our strategic growth objectives.”

Faisal Binladen, founder of Veloce Life, added: “I am very excited to partner with BAC to launch the incredible Mono range in Saudi Arabia. The driver-focused nature of Mono – something that is a rarity in today’s automotive sphere – has garnered a lot of attention in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East. At the Grand Prix in Jeddah earlier this year, I saw in person how the Mono R stirs up pure excitement; when people lay their eyes on a Mono for the first time, they literally light up. I am looking forward to fusing the unique brand appeal of BAC into the heart of the Saudi Arabian car culture.”


Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) LTD is the British manufacturer behind the world’s only road-legal, single-seater supercars – the BAC Mono and BAC Mono R. The Liverpool-based business was founded in 2009 by brothers Neill and Ian Briggs, who set about providing the world with a road vehicle that offers the most authentic and pure driving experience possible.

Mono and Mono R implement the very latest racing technology and are regarded as the ultimate pieces of sporting equipment for the sport of driving. They focus solely on the person behind the wheel; race cars for the road that can be described as A-to-A vehicles, rather than A-to-B – forget the destination, these models are all about pure driving pleasure.

BAC customers are predominantly passionate and knowledgeable car-lovers who have achieved entrepreneurial success; and as such have extensive garages with the finest models around. They invest in Mono because they seek a driving experience that nothing else in the world can offer, while maintaining an exceptional level of bespoke luxury.

Designed, engineered, and managed by experts with backgrounds in several leading automotive, high-end supercar and motorsport brands, Mono and Mono R are luxury products that owners can tailor to suit their needs. From performance to unique vehicle aesthetics, drivers are offered a truly bespoke buying experience – every single car rolled out of the BAC factory is a one-of-one vehicle.

BAC exports 80% of the cars it produces to over 45 different countries across five different continents – and counting. Its high-profile dealer network across America, Asia and Europe caters to an ever-growing global demand for Mono ownership and servicing.

Instagram: @DiscoverMono
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DiscoverMono
Twitter: @DiscoverMono
YouTube: www.youtube.com/DiscoverMono
Website: www.bac-mono.com

For media and PR inquiries please contact:
t: +44 (0) 151 486 8787 
e: press@bac-mono.com

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Public Debut – Commercially available successor to McMurtry Spéirling to be unveiled at Goodwood Festival of Speed: the McMurtry Spéirling PURE

Spéirling PURE track car objectives

  • To bring back legendary fan car technology
  • To restore passion for small and lightweight cars
  • To make record breaking performance accessible to track driving enthusiasts. 

 Key Facts – Spéirling PURE track car

  • It’s the first commercially available sealed skirt fan car – an opportunity to own and exploit this historically significant technology. 3G cornering now possible at accessible speeds. 
  • Its capability will exceed that of the machine which holds the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb record.  It is focused on multi lap runs on full race circuits with fast charge turnaround. 
  • It is eligible for the GT1 Sports Club. An exclusive hypercar driving programme held in the heart of the SRO GT World Challenge race weekends. Destinations include International FIA circuits in Europe, Asia and America.
  • Validation Prototype (VP1) will be unveiled to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.  It will be in the supercar paddock neighbouring the start line. 
  • Pre-production protypes will follow in 2024.
  • Final Production will be limited to 100 units, deliveries will start in 2025. 
  • From £820,000 + taxes

Headline Technical Information

  • Patented Downforce-on-Demand Fan System
  • 1.02m height x 1.58m width x 3.45m length
  • <1000 kg Weight
  • 1000 bhp (745kW) Peak Output
  • 190 mph Top Speed
  • Rear Wheel Drive
  • 60 kWh Battery System – developed with Molicel
  • Fast Charge in under 20 mins
  • Carbon Fibre Monocoque designed to meet motorsport standards
  • Adjustable pedals and steering wheel to accommodate drivers up to 6ft 7” (2.0m) and 150kg.
  • Slick Tyres – 27/65-18 (Front), 30/68-18 (Rear)

Key Spokespeople
Thomas Yates, founding director: “The Spéirling PURE will herald a new era on the track. The sound, grip, acceleration, aesthetics and technology of this car are distinct.  Witnessing the car as a spectator or from the cockpit offers a rare and exhilarating experience.  With pre-orders from around the globe, I can’t wait for fan cars at the racetrack to become a new normality.”

Max Chilton, development driver: “Proving the Spéirling’s advantage via the outright hillclimb record at Goodwood was a proud life achievement. Since then, it’s been rewarding to see what customers can achieve in the driving seat too.  It’s hugely satisfying to be part of the company that are bringing this game changing technology to driving enthusiasts.”

Where to see the validation prototype
To see a Spéirling PURE and meet with the sales team, please visit the McMurtry Automotive stand at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed from 13th-16th July, in the Supercar paddock near the start line.

Ownership enquiries can also be made via www.mcmurtry.com/speirling-pure/.

Further insight
(Gloucestershire, 21 June 2023) Taking the outright hill record at Goodwood demonstrated the performance potential of a modern fan car and in the process of doing so created automotive history.

Now it is possible to own an evolution of that record breaking vehicle, in one of the most extreme, no rules track cars on the planet: the McMurtry Spéirling PURE.

Its natural home is on race circuits, where McMurtry’s bespoke fan downforce system gives drivers a step change in usable grip. It unlocks a new experience by delivering constant and approachable downforce, all of the time, regardless of speed. It is not affected by yaw angle or wind direction either. The sub 1000kg drivers car is focused on providing some of the most significant and talked about laps of an individual’s endeavours on a race circuit, time and time again.  

Direction changes are intensified. Senses are heightened as the rapid yet playful platform invites drivers to push harder than they thought possible. Braking and turn in points are redefined. Superior traction gives new operating regions to exploit on track. It’s driving on a new level.

The downforce-on-demand system offers the greatest benefit to drivers where most time is spent on track, in the low and medium speed corners. Spéirling PURE owners will have the tools to access the G forces felt in top flight motorsport, as cornering in excess of 3G can be achieved even in some of the tightest corners on Grand Prix Circuits – for example ‘The Loop’ and ‘Village’ at Silverstone, or the famous Monaco hairpin if one can gain track access.

To truly cut through the air onto its way to a top speed of 190mph, and to optimise energy consumption,  the streamlined body shape is vital. The frontal area is minimised by making the driver both the lowest and tallest point in the car and batteries occupy the space between the wheels and under the drivers legs in a U shape.This allows the cars frontal area to remain more akin to the classically proportioned 1960’s grand prix racers at 1.02m tall and 1.58m wide (3.45m long).

The 18” tyres of section widths 270mm front and 300mm rear fill the arches with a powerful stance. When combined with the patented downforce-on-demand system, it is a recipe for total track domination. The intellectual property protection on the system means McMurtry are now the custodians of this era defining advantage.  

Powertrain system performance and efficiency is balanced to maximise run time and minimise charge time, whilst delivering average lap speeds not seen before on many circuits. The cadence of driving and charging time fits nicely into the schedule of premium track programmes, such as the GT1 Sports Club, for which the Spéirling PURE is eligible. As a baseline the car is capable of doing 10 laps of Silverstone National at lap record pace and then fast charging in 20 minutes to run again. Tantalisingly the car has potential to go even faster, for a shorter qualifying simulation.  

Production will be limited to 100 units. Existing deposit holders will receive delivery in 2025.

The validation prototype will continue to test in the UK and Europe in 2023 alongside pursuing a record-breaking programme. This will be followed by pre-production prototypes in 2024, ahead of production starting in 2025.      

For those familiar with the Goodwood Hillclimb record holding Spéirling, McMurtry Automotive have been busy over the last 12 months. Here are some of the changes found on the Spéirling PURE prototype:

  • All new fan system – 15% increase in fan efficiency, 14% weight saving and significantly enhanced tolerance to flow variation.
  • Updated skirt design 15% lighter
  • New E-axle, Goodwood spec acceleration with 190mph top speed and 0.5% improvement gearbox efficiency.
  • New battery with improved thermal management and 3% mass saving enabled by Molicel cells and 15.5% mass saving on battery casing.
  • Revised chassis saving 4% mass.
  • Revised wheel arch and underbody aerodynamics.
  • New electrical architecture saving 35% on wiring loom mass.
  • Exterior – Wider tyres for increased and more progressive lateral grip.  60mm wider per tyre.  And now on 18” wheels vs 19” previously.
  • Front Tyres increased in width from 21/64R19 to 27/65R18, +28% width.
  • Rear Tyres increased in width from 24/640R19 to 30/68R18, +25% width.
  • Wheel rims 2% lighter on front and 12% on rear.
  • Suspension and bodywork re-engineered.
  • Revised pedal box saving 17% mass and addition of optional ABS.
  • 2.5% reduction in brake system assembly mass.
  • Lightened power steering unit saving 20% mass.

McMurtry Company Objectives

  • McMurtry’s ambition is to become one of the world’s most prestigious and long-standing automotive brands, founded on motorsport innovation. 
  • Inspired by legends of the past, we champion small and lightweight. 
  • We proudly showcase British innovation and engineering design.

Further information: 
www.mcmurtry.com

Instagram: @mcmurtryautomotive Facebook: @mcmurtryautomotive LinkedIn: McMurtry Automotive Ltd
Media contact: media@mcmurtry.com

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Design No.5 – Creating Iconic Luxury

Carlsbad/Stuttgart, June 15, 2023

CreatingIconicLuxury: The Mercedes-Benz brand history is a source of inspiration for the future.

From the three-pointed star to gullwing doors and cab-forward design: over the decades, the Mercedes-Benz design
teams have created and established iconic elements. These are unmistakably associated with the brand,
shaping the Mercedes-Benz myth and creating desire. The Mercedes-Benz design team will continue to
develop the brand’s iconic style to further strengthen this heritage and carry it into the future.

PinnacleOfExclusivity: Exceptional customisation options, one-offs from collaborations, limited collector’s

and special editions, pioneering show cars and research and concept vehicles are the epitome of exclusivity
for Mercedes-Benz.

IDCCarlsbad: The Mercedes-Benz Design Centers provide important impetus for the continuous

development of the design philosophy of sensual purity and for setting trends with new design ideas. At the
International Design Center Carlsbad, the Mercedes-Benz design Team creates show car exteriors, vehicle
studies and mobility concepts for tomorrow and beyond. It does this by picking up on stylistic trends on site,
then analysing and creatively implementing them.

The Californian lifestyle influences the site just as much as
its proximity to Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America. A very special form of creativity
flourishes in Carlsbad, leaving its mark on Mercedes-Benz design and opening up new perspectives.

VisionOneEleven: With the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven, the brand presents a concept sports car that

progressively reinterprets the C 111, a brand icon of the 1970s. Much like its historic predecessor, it
combines stunning design with the most innovative drive technology. The Vision One-Eleven makes use of
axial flux motors from YASA, which have an unmatched power density far beyond comparable radial motors,
while being extremely lightweight.

ExclusiveCollection: Mercedes-Benz is launching the “LIMITED EDITION 1 OF 111” collection along with the

Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven. This is the first time that an iconic design study has been accompanied by
a lifestyle collection consisting of five exclusive pieces. In addition to the striking colour of the concept sports
car, the individual accessories also reflect the vehicle’s characteristic design elements.

AugmentedReality: The Mercedes-Benz design team used augmented reality (AR) to create a visionary user

experience for the premiere of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven and integrated it into a virtual test
model of the Vision One-Eleven interior. The physical vehicle interior and the digital interface merge
seamlessly, so that virtually the entire car becomes a user interface.

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ALL-NEW AEHRATM SEDAN BRINGS SUPERCAR LEVELS OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY TO THE PASSENGER CAR SECTOR

●       Ultra premium electric automotive brand AEHRA reveals design of its second model, a Sedan

●       AEHRA uniquely unlocks complete freedom afforded by state-of-the-art EV technology to set ground-breaking standards for automotive design 

●       Project led by AEHRA Chief Design Officer, Filippo Perini, a symbol of Italian automotive design

●       Customer deliveries of both AEHRA SUV and Sedan expected by 2026

Milan, 16 June 2023 – AEHRA, the new global ultra-premium electric automotive brand, has today revealed the exterior design of its second ground-breaking model, a sinuously styled Sedan.  Presented to the international media at the Milano Monza Motor Show today, the AEHRA Sedan follows swiftly on from the brand’s first model, an SUV presented late last year. 

Based on the same highly flexible ultra-advanced EV platform as the AEHRA SUV, the AEHRA Sedan was conceived in tandem with its sibling without compromise.  And while the new model shares the same design language and body surface treatment as the SUV, it is quite different in character thanks to unique graphic signatures at the front and the rear of the car. 

A shape inspired by centuries of Italian design and purity of expression

AEHRA’s soft, simple, uncomplicated design language is expressed in the new Sedan to stunning effect. From the side, the car features just one uninterrupted fluid line.  The brand’s design team resolutely shunned the need to create numerous edges within the body and, instead, amplified the new model’s character through the use of reflection, with the body divided by light and shadow.

The brand has used a similar ‘division’ approach to express other elements of the Sedan’s character, and this approach is particularly evident at the front of the vehicle. Here, technical elements, such as the active aerodynamic and cooling elements, are amalgamated in the lower section of the car. Combined with a bespoke battery solution developed in partnership with Miba Battery Systems, the AEHRA Sedan and SUV are designed and engineered to deliver optimum efficiency and target an 800km driving range.

By contrast to the more technical lower section, the top portion of the car represents a much cleaner, purer shape, and one that flows elegantly all the way from the hood to the windscreen and up and over the roofline. The crafting of this very fluid shape drew inspiration in part from the aeronautic sector, and it exudes a sheer sense of the AEHRA Sedan gliding effortlessly through the air with great efficiency, even when it is parked and not moving.  

“With the AEHRA Sedan, we have had the boldness to go even further and fully exploit the exceptional design freedom born out of our founder Hazim Nada’s philosophy and vision, and AEHRA’s ground-breaking use of only the most advanced technologies that the global automotive and aeronautic industries have to offer,” explains Filippo Perini, AEHRA Head of Design.  

“The design of the AEHRA Sedan is inspired by numerous sources. In Italy, it is often said we exist in a living museum. The influence of art and architecture is all around us, and beauty is all around us. A beauty that stems from purity of expression and aesthetic functionality.”

“For centuries, Italian architects, artists and designers have been inspired by the pursuit of the perfection of proportion. That passion and discipline are evident in every line and detail of the AEHRA Sedan. Adhering to AEHRA’s doctrine that form must always follow function; the Sedan is the anthesis to baroque design culture. Devoid of unnecessary adornments, yet alive with emotion, the AEHRA Sedan represents a new standard of natural beauty for zero-emission ultra-premium mobility.”

Balance and proportion for a new era of ultra-premium, zero-emission mobility

While the car expresses copious beauty, elegance, and agility, it also conveys an inescapable essence of power, dynamism, and energy, achieved by AEHRA’s unrelenting pursuit of balance and proportion. The AEHRA Sedan’s sense of superior strength comes predominantly from the rippling muscular effect of the front and rear fenders. These almost animal-like features convey that while the AEHRA Sedan is a car designed and engineered for a new era of ultra-premium, zero-emission mobility, pure passion, and sheer driving pleasure reside firmly at its core.

In the Sedan, like in the SUV, AEHRA’s unflinching determination to deliver a seismic shift across the automotive customer experience, and transform the EV mobility ecosystem, encompasses the use of ultra-advanced, exceptionally light, highly sustainable composite materials, including forged carbon fiber technologies. 

Typically the exclusive preserve of the supercar and hypercar sector, these materials enable AEHRA to push the boundaries of technical design far beyond anything yet seen in the passenger car sector. They empower the brand to encompass ground-breaking features such as the double-falcon doors, which feature on both the SUV and the Sedan. Opening upwards, they blend a stunning visual statement with exceptional practicality to provide effortless ingress and egress.

“The debut of the AEHRA Sedan, just eight months after we revealed our first SUV model and the recent announcement of our partnership with Miba Battery Systems, confirms that AEHRA remains firmly on track in its strategic mission to deliver a step-change in the design, customer, and ownership experience of ultra-premium electric vehicles,” commented AEHRA Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hazim Nada. 

“The first customer deliveries of the AEHRA Sedan and AEHRA SUV will commence by 2026. And when the final production variants take to the road, they will look virtually identical to the models we have revealed, ensuring no compromise on our promise to combine an extraordinary driving and ownership experience with exceptional design and technology.” 

With substantial private funding in place, AEHRA has established a clear roadmap to deliver its unique, transformative business model. A strategic model roll out is planned for key markets in 2026, including North America and Europe, with China and the Gulf States to follow.

For more information on AEHRA and to register interest in one of their forthcoming models, see www.AEHRA.com.

ABOUT AEHRA

AEHRA has been created to deliver a step-change in the design, customer, and ownership experience of ultra-premium electric vehicles (EVs). Headquartered in Milan, AEHRA is a privately funded global company that disrupts the existing automotive ecosystem by distilling the values of Italian design, world-class engineering, and American customer service to leverage the advantages of next-generation EV powertrain packaging and technology.

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BUGATTI BOLIDE UNDERTAKES EXTREME TRACK TESTING TO PERFECT HIGH-PERFORMANCE AERODYNAMICS

Incredibly fast. Uncompromisingly extreme. A hyper sports car like no other. The vision of creating the ultimate track-only Bugatti is even closer to reality: having finalized its design and built the first prototypes, the Bolide is now proving its advanced aerodynamic capabilities during high intensity testing at some of the most dynamically challenging racetracks. The results, so far, have been breathtaking.

Incredibly fast. Uncompromisingly extreme. A hyper sports car like no other. The vision of creating the ultimate track-only Bugatti is even closer to reality: having finalized its design and built the first prototypes, the Bolide is now proving its advanced aerodynamic capabilities during high intensity testing at some of the most dynamically challenging racetracks. The results, so far, have been breathtaking.

FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS

  • 1 BOLIDE: THIS MODEL IS NOT SUBJECT TO DIRECTIVE 1999/94/EC, AS TYPE APPROVAL HAS NOT YET BEEN GRANTED.

The most ambitious endeavors are often born from the purest ideas, and in the Bolide1 the aim has been unambiguous from the start: to create the lightest car possible, reduced to the essentials, around the iconic quad turbo 8.0-litre W16 engine. The appeal was obvious, sparking huge customer interest globally, and prompting Bugatti to produce a limited run of just 40 units. Two-and-half-years after the Bolide concept was unveiled and after countless simulated laps, the car is now being refined on real, revered racetracks as part of an uncompromising test program that focuses on realizing top motorsport levels of performance.

The tests are exhausting and relentless, as must be the case for a car of this nature, delivering 1,600 PS and a dry weight of only 1,450 kg, in the process achieving an unprecedented weight-to-power ratio. Lap after lap is being spent pushing the Bolide to the very limit in pursuit of achieving the optimum handling performance, but in line with Bugatti’s philosophy that the two-seater must be manageable for drivers of all abilities.

Among the keys to this is ensuring the correct level of downforce, and that has been one of the priorities of Bugatti’s expert engineering team. Challenging turns and straights are providing final validation points after months of complex development work focused on the aerodynamics that saw simulations created on some of the world’s most revered racetracks – all with very different characteristics – to tune the Bolide as close as possible to its physical limits. Christian Willmann, Chief Engineer for the Bolide, explains: “This extensive aerodynamic work usually only takes place in the top level of motorsport, but has allowed us to meticulously develop the Bolide for ultimate performance and drivability.”

The effort has paid off: the demanding program, which is ongoing, is demonstrating the extreme cornering speeds the car is capable of, with up to 2.5 G possible laterally and nearly three tons of downforce generated depending on the speed – testament to the groundbreaking aerodynamics, wide track, low center of gravity and mighty 16-cylinder powertrain.

The extraordinary performance the Bolide is delivering demonstrates Bugatti’s unrelenting commitment to the bespoke treatment required for a car of this type. This is evident at the front, where a front diffuser has been developed to improve drivability. The air flowing in is compressed under the front splitter, and then expands under the diffuser, creating suction that pulls the Bolide downward. At the same time, the diffuser is also able to direct the passing air to the left and right until it exits behind the front tires.

A number of other technical innovations are also integral to the Bolide’s performance. Specially designed air curtains in front of the front wheels help the air to flow perfectly around the car, reducing overall drag. Winglets on the outer edges of the front splitter develop a spiral air flow, generating a vortex that energizes the air flow to the diffuser, helping to improve rear downforce. And the narrow cab allows ideal airflow to the side intercoolers, where large inlets and deep shafts help to ensure an optimum operating temperature for the engine. Even the wing mirrors have been precisely designed to exact specifications to divert air towards the intercoolers, increasing their efficiency.

But it’s not just the increased efficiency that led to Bugatti’s decision to incorporate a physical rear view mirror rather than a camera system. Physical mirrors allow drivers to estimate distances between other cars more quickly, which is important on a track. “It is these small but crucial details that will allow a Bugatti Bolide driver to have a holistically fulfilling circuit experience,” says Frank Heyl, Deputy Design Director at Bugatti Automobiles. “Design and technology flow into one another in the Bolide. Every technical consideration has been translated directly into an aesthetic design. The Bolide perfectly demonstrates how a symbiosis of design and technology can work in synergy and in harmony.”

The highly focused Bolide performance tests are proving crucial for assessing the hyper sport car in action in real time on the track. Many of the highly technical and innovative solutions employed on the Bolide as part of its intense motorsport-focused testing program – ensuring the car delivers outstanding peak performance – were first created and tested virtually via advanced simulation methodologies. One such example of this seamless Bugatti virtual to real-world tech development and transition process relates to the geometry of the Bolide’s front splitter, which was meticulously optimized across several design iterations during advanced simulation R&D cycles.

The challenge was to ensure that the front splitter always performs optimally in all driving conditions. This was especially the case for when the Bolide switched between varying driving environments, such as rapid straight-line driving into hard braking. The nose of the Bolide lowers when the driver brakes hard, allowing the front splitter to be even closer to the ground which in turn creates even more downforce. However, for a car of this stature to be easily controllable on track, it’s important not to create too much downforce at the front when braking in order to maintain aero balance. As with every other facet of the Bolide, meticulous attention to detail and an unrelenting strive for perfection was undertaken by the Bugatti engineering team to optimally shape and hone the front splitter until the aero balance was perfect, even under the most extreme conditions.

The same intricate process also informed the precision engineering advancement of the Bolide’s rear wing, which can be adjusted according to each track’s specific characteristics. To set the car up to the exacting needs of the driver, the Bolide’s highly focused aero package can be adjusted to the precise correct balance between downforce and drag, allowing each of the Bolide owners the unique opportunity to drive and experience a car with top motorsport level of performance on the racetracks of the world.

First deliveries of the Bolide will commence in 2024, with production limited to just 40 units at a net unit price of four million euros each.

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Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este: Join us for an Extraordinary Event!

In just a few weeks’ time, we will be celebrating the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Today, we are already looking forward to having the privilege of welcoming you in Cernobbio from 19th to 21st May 2023. At one of the most magical places we know on the shores of Lake Como, we will once again create a unique stage for high automobile culture.

The programme awaiting you on Sunday 21st May 2023 is especially diverse. The Concorso d’Eleganza Public Day – Il Festival will be held on this day for the first time. This takes the weekend into a completely new dimension for everybody who is as enthusiastic as we are about the elegance and technology of Historic Cars.

An important part of this day will be the resumption of a cherished tradition. On the Sunday, all the vehicles participating in the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este will once again be on display in the grounds of Villa Erba – with a magisterial, moderated parade of all the vehicles as the crowning finale for participants and visitors alike.

There are also lots of new attractions for the entire family that will enrich the programme for the first time this year. We invite you to come along and join us in spending this multifaceted, kaleidoscopic Sunday focused on the automobile as a cultural artefact.

You can obtain entry tickets for the Concorso d’Eleganza Public Day – Il Festival in advance from ticketone.it. We recommend that you book early because of the huge interest shown in the event. There has been a massive response for the Saturday at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The limited number of day passes and all Friends of Concorso packages were already sold out within a very short space of time.

We are greatly looking forward to seeing you again soon at this unique occasion.

Your Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este Team

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BUGATTI BOLIDE ENTERS NEXT PHASE OF TESTING

BUGATTI BOLIDE ENTERS NEXT PHASE OF TESTING

When the Bolide was first revealed as a thought experiment in late 2020, it presented a vision of a lightweight, track-only hyper sports car delivering incomparable performance, built around the iconic W16 engine. That ambitious dream is being transformed into reality, as the Bolide prototype begins its next phase of development testing.

At The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in August 2021, Bugatti announced that the Bolide1 would be developed for a limited production run of just 40 units. Centered on the premise of creating the ultimate track-only Bugatti and set to be the most uncompromising model to ever emerge from Molsheim, it represents an entirely new level of engineering, aerodynamic and technological innovation.

For the Bolide, Bugatti started with the quad-turbo W16 engine, and then built the lightest possible car around it. Its minimal bodywork is designed carefully to leverage maximum downforce, most efficient cooling and exceptional power-to-weight ratio. In its final form, the Bolide is expected to deliver 1,600 PS and a dry weight of only 1,450 kg to better the magical 1:1 ratio.

Christophe Piochon, President of Bugatti Automobiles, said: “The Bolide is treading new ground for Bugatti. Never before has such a powerful engine been paired with an ultra-lightweight design to create a track car that delivers motorsport levels of performance. Almost every component has been analyzed and redesigned to ensure Bolide is as light, capable and reliable as our strict targets require it to be. The next phase of development is a major milestone in the creation of a car that takes Bugatti’s “form follows performance” philosophy to a new level.”

Creating the Bolide is a case of bespoke craftsmanship. Although the engine may be familiar in its layout and capacity, it is integrated into the Bolide in a fully different way. A newly shaped carbon monocoque compared with Chiron2 meant re-engineering many components, including cooling, transmission and suspension, each of which now had to be packaged within the incredibly compact and aerodynamic design of Bolide, with a matter of millimeters to spare. With new engine mountings, the suspension of Bolide’s drive unit is three times stiffer than the Chiron’s. Together with the uniball suspension bearings, the Bolide gives the driver even more precise feedback. The Bolide also uses 3D-printed titanium rockers to help create intricately shaped and lightweight components.

The engine itself is central to the Bolide experience, but subtly adapted for this car’s unique character. It always operates on all four of its turbochargers – perfect for the racetrack where engine revs are consistently high, but also for weight and packaging reasons. The team has tuned the engine to deliver higher revs per minute and successfully paired it to a modified transmission designed to deliver even sharper performance.

The braking system offers entirely new levels of performance and innovation. In the Chiron, the brakes are an effective and long-lasting carbon ceramic system but the Bolide uses even more heat-resistant carbon-carbon brakes. These must be thoroughly warmed before they reach their peak effectiveness so Bugatti engineers designed completely new calipers that would more efficiently generate and absorb heat. With 18-inch tires, 390 mm brake discs were created and a carbon cover placed on each wheel to help protect the rims from the extreme heat generated by the brakes.

Befitting its status as a track car with the performance of a top-level motorsport machine, the Bolide is fitted with slick tires which – at the rear – can only be found on LMDh vehicles racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Thanks to tire manufacturer Michelin’s long-standing partnership with Bugatti, these tires can be used for the Bolide.

First deliveries of the Bolide will commence in 2024, with production limited to just 40 units at a net unit price of four million euros each.

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Cadillac Project GTP Hypercar que anticipa el prototipo de auto de carrera de tercera generación de la marca de lujo estadounidense

Cadillac revela el proyecto GTP Hypercar

El proyecto GTP Hypercar muestra el diseño del auto de carreras IMSA y WEC 2023

Cadillac reveló hoy el Proyecto GTP Hypercar que presenta una vista previa del prototipo de auto de carreras de tercera generación de la marca de lujo estadounidense. En 2023, Cadillac competirá en el Campeonato IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar y el Campeonato Mundial de Resistencia de la FIA, incluidas las 24 Horas de Le Mans.

“Cadillac volverá a competir en el escenario mundial de las carreras y todos estamos encantados de volver a Le Mans después de 20 años”, dijo el vicepresidente global de Cadillac, Rory Harvey. “Al competir en los campeonatos IMSA y WEC de 2023, Cadillac Racing tiene la oportunidad de demostrar su capacidad, artesanía y tecnología”.

Codesarrollado por Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing y Dallara, el Project GTP Hypercar incorpora características clave de diseño de marca. Los elementos del legado de la marca, como la iluminación vertical y las aspas flotantes, están presentes en todas partes y conectan el Project GTP Hypercar con el futuro de Cadillac.


“El Project GTP Hypercar es una convergencia única de forma y función y muestra la estética de desempeño futuro de Cadillac”, dijo Chris Mikalauskas, diseñador creativo principal de exteriores de Cadillac. “Tenemos mucho más por venir, desde el próximo auto de carrera hasta increíbles vehículos de producción”.

Desde 2017, Cadillac ha estado compitiendo a la vanguardia de las carreras de autos deportivos estadounidenses en el campeonato de fabricantes IMSA logrando numerosas victorias, podios y campeonatos en el Cadillac DPi-VR.

“Competir por la victoria general en Le Mans con una marca estadounidense icónica como Cadillac es un honor”, ​​dijo Laura Wontrop Klauser, gerente del programa de carreras de autos deportivos de GM. “Todo el equipo está emocionado de continuar construyendo el legado de carreras de Cadillac compitiendo contra los mejores a nivel internacional y en la carrera más dura del mundo”.

El nuevo auto de carreras estará propulsado por un motor DOHC V-8 de 5.5L completamente nuevo que se combinará con el sistema híbrido común LMDh.

El compromiso de Cadillac con el rendimiento se materializa en la cartera de la Serie V. Su expansión reciente incluye los sedán deportivos CT4-V y CT5-V, Escalade-V, así como el CT4-V Blackwing1 y el CT5-V Blackwing1 con capacidad para pista.

El auto de carreras comenzará las pruebas en la pista este verano y la primera carrera en la Rolex 24 en Daytona en 2023.

Los logros recientes de Cadillac Racing incluyen:

  • Ganar el Campeonato IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar tres veces: 2021, 2018 y 2017
  • Ganar la Rolex 24 en Daytona cuatro veces seguidas: 2020, 2019, 2018 y 2017
  • Ganar cuatro veces la Michelin North American Endurance Cup: 2020, 2019, 2018 y 2017
  • Antes de competir en el IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Cadillac compitió en el Pirelli World Challenge Championship, ganando cinco campeonatos de fabricantes (2014, 2013, 2012, 2007, 2005) y cinco campeonatos de pilotos (2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2005) .

1 Disponibilidad limitada

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Historic Praga company confirms its place on the hypercar grid with Bohema: an all-new road legal, limited run, race-bred car

Historic Praga company confirms its place on the hypercar grid with Bohema: an all-new road legal, limited run, race-bred car

  • – All-new design from 115-year-old Czech company with global racing credentials
  • – Road car manners combine with prototype-spec race car attributes
  • – Lightweight, targeting 982 kgs
  • – Proven twin-turbo six-cylinder high-performance engine, targeting 700 hp
  • – Full carbon monocoque chassis and body
  • – Two-seater with innovative ergonomics and bespoke design features
  • – Just 89 available reflecting the 89th anniversary of Praga’s historic 1933 road race victory
  • – €1.28m / £1.1m hypercar inspired and tested by F1 and IndyCar star Romain Grosjean
  • – Praga Cars UK to open new global brand centre in England in 2023

Overview

The historic automotive company Praga, currently a global player in various on- and off-track racing disciplines around the world, has revealed its all-new road legal hypercar in pre-production prototype form: a high-performance, low-volume, beautifully-appointed car designed around three core principles – lightweight, carbon, petrol.

The new Praga Bohema is a sub-1,000 kilogrammes, mid-engined two-seater that, in the right hands, is capable of extreme high performance on track targeting GT3 race car lap times on its semi-slick Pirellis. Yet it is also comfortable and practical for head-turning road trips.

With its carbon fibre monocoque and race-oriented fully adjustable suspension, it is extremely light, targeting just 982 kgs (wet without fuel), while its powerful Nissan GT-R-derived six-cylinder twin-turbo engine ensures reliability, ease of servicing and the potential for further performance tuning. Whilst the Bohema’s race-derived semi-automatic transmission will support a unique on-road experience with track-focused performance.

The goal? That the Bohema is a uniquely styled, rare and exclusive car that you really can drive to the track, pull on a crash helmet (taken from the bespoke luggage fitted in each of the car’s innovative 50-litre side pods), put in lap after lap at high speed on its Pirelli Trofeo R tyres, and then drive home again.

The inspiration? Longstanding Praga friend and ambassador, and former F1 and current IndyCar driver, Romain Grosjean challenged Praga to deliver a genuine uncompromised two-person road/track performance car, promising a truly unique driver experience.

He was subsequently involved in the Bohema project and highlighted the car’s seamless transition from road to track whilst delivering extensive sessions on the challenging six-kilometre Slovakia Ring circuit in recent testing.

“I was astonished by the Bohema’s amazing performance on track, its accessibility on road, and the ease of transition between the two,” said Romain. “Praga has truly delivered on my challenge! On the road, you get a smooth ride, the car eliminates the bumps, you can chat with the passenger, and everything is calm and OK. Then simply switch focus and you are on the track. The same clothes, the same car, but the feeling changes and you are pushing the limit and collecting amazing lap times again and again, discovering unbelievable possibilities in the Bohema. And we still have a few months to fine-tune the on-road compliance and on-track lap times!”

The result? The Bohema is an all-new design, developed by Praga’s small, but talented team of engineers and designers, and perfected in an F1 team’s wind tunnel. It uses a race-derived carbon fibre monocoque, with extensive aero providing over 900 kgs of downforce at 250 km/h. Top speed is just over 300 km/h: the fastest speed achievable on virtually any racetrack.

Crucially, the car’s aerodynamically-inspired engineering has not eliminated elegant and intriguing designed bodywork to ensure the car looks fast, and looks good. High quality machined Praga Gold painted duraluminium details include door hinges and a tow hook featuring an integrated rear-facing camera that stand out on the Praga blue show car and reflect Praga’s attention to detail. The Bohema is that rarest of cars with the ‘wow’ factor in both looks and performance.

Unlike many racetrack-derived performance cars, the Bohema’s ingenious interior ergonomics delivers a narrow, aerodynamically honed cockpit yet seats two, two-metre-tall adults with fully adjustable driver’s seat, steering wheel and pedals, generous luggage space, aircon and useful rear visibility. All at less than 1,000 kgs.

Praga’s obsession with its sub-tonne target weight is highlighted by the Bohema’s cockpit statistics: structurally designed with 56 individual carbon parts, and trimmed with high-quality Alcantara and leather, the cockpit’s target weight is just 34 kgs.

The focus on keeping the Bohema under 1,000 kgs is demonstrated by Praga’s remarkable attention to detail in every aspect of the design, with extensive use made of carbon fibre, magnesium alloys and titanium.

Its independent suspension uses pushrod-operated adjustable dampers mounted horizontally for maximum travel while minimising bodywork height. In such a lightweight car, with just 180 kgs of unsprung mass, Praga’s development engineers have still been able to keep the suspension supple enough for road use without having to resort to expensive adaptive suspension systems.

The central-locked wheels are 18in diameter at the front and 19in at the rear to offer on-road compliance through their large tyre walls, but the Bohema will accept 18in wheels all-round, which ensures compatibility with the FIA GT3 spec tyre dimension – the race tyre with the widest possible range of competition tyres globally. The powerful brakes use lightweight but durable 380 mm carbon ceramic discs with six-piston calipers.

The Praga Bohema is entering the final few months of development with road and track programmes planned in the UK, Europe and Middle East and at the Slovakia Ring home circuit. Production of the €1.28m / £1.1m (+ taxes) hypercar is scheduled to begin in the Czech Republic in the second half of 2023, with just 10 cars initially scheduled for 2023 production. A global client visitor and spec’ing headquarters will also be established in England in 2023, building on Praga’s growing race programme in the UK.

Approximately 20 cars per year will be hand-built over the following four years ensuring exclusivity for owners, and Praga plans to offer track handover programmes with its experienced test-driver line-up for owners to ensure that the full performance and capabilities of the Bohema are understood and accessible.

Praga Bohema in detail

Powertrain

The Praga Bohema’s PL38DETT is based on Nissan’s famed 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V6 engine used in all its GT-R models since 2007. Initially drawing on Nissan’s experience at Le Mans, it is constructed around an aluminium alloy cylinder block, and there are double overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, with a continuously variable valve timing system on the inlet valves.

The beauty of this engine is not just its sheer performance potential, but also its renowned reliability and tunability.

Uniquely, Nissan supplies brand new GT-R engines to Praga for the Bohema. Engine development and servicing requirements then sees Praga working with the UK’s renowned Litchfield Engineering; another long-time friend of the Praga brand. Litchfield has more than two decades of tuning experience and is known as the global authority on GT-R engines. Litchfield strips the new engines and converts them to dry sump, which reduces the overall height of the unit by 140 mm. This allows the engine to sit lower in the Bohema and prevents the risks of oil surge under high-speed cornering loads.

Litchfield also makes a number of modifications for increased reliability and power, including swapping to new twin turbos. In this base-Litchfield specification, Praga is targeting the Bohema production car to deliver up to 700 bhp at 6,800 rpm and 725 Nm of torque from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm, but Litchfield is known for building 1000 bhp-plus engines from the GT-R unit.

The engine breathes out through exhausts that are titanium right from the turbos to the tailpipes, with much of the silencing provided by the catalytic convertors, giving a sharp crackle to the engine note while remaining within typical circuit noise limits – and ensuring that occupants can still hold a conversation even at well over legal road speed limits.

The Bohema’s engine is mated to the renowned Hewland sequential gearbox through a robotic clutch allowing for semi-automatic drive mode. This choice of gearbox, equipped with bespoke road-optimised helical cut gears, ensures fast-changing, durability and ability to handle high torque at a minimum weight.

In classic race car and supercar style, the engine sits directly behind the cockpit, with the transmission behind the engine driving the rear wheels, for optimal weight balance and responsiveness in turns. Crucially, the engine and gearbox are independently mounted from the carbon chassis ensuring annoying and loud sub-woofer style resonance and vibrations are not transferred through to the cockpit from the engine bay. A 74-litre fuel tank ensures road trips can be completed with minimal fuss.

Chassis and bodywork

The Bohema has been designed and styled completely in-house by the Praga team, using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modelling followed by fine-tuning in an F1 team’s wind tunnel. Engineers and designers have worked as one, to ensure all surfaces look exciting and elegant yet remain uncompromised in their contribution to aerodynamic efficiency and performance. It is undiluted form and function in harmony.

It uses extensive and innovative aerodynamics, including a unique rear spoiler design which, combined, results in over 900 kgs of downforce at 250 km/h.

The chassis is an extremely strong, torsionally rigid carbon fibre monocoque construction: in modern times, Praga has only ever designed and built all-carbon race cars, benefitting from the experience and local expertise in carbon fibre manufacturing in the Czech Republic and Slovakia employed by many of Europe’s leading luxury car brands.

The lightweight carbon fibre outer panels are attached to the monocoque. The front top panel covers the suspension, with subtle bulges to accommodate the horizontal dampers. At the rear, a single panel covers the engine, transmission and suspension. The front wings are not structural, so the front mirrors are mounted on long rigid stalks to provide stylish and aerodynamic structures with excellent rear vision without vibration or obstruction.

Within the aerodynamically styled rear wheel arches there are deep storage areas, for which custom-fit leather luggage is available – big enough for a crash helmet, racing suit and boots, or a casual weekend bag. The doors are front hinged and electronically released, with back-up mechanical releases.

The deeply curved trademark Praga windscreen ensures remarkable visibility inside the cockpit, and is swept clean by an ingenious mechanism specially developed by Praga to ensure that the windscreen wiper stays in contact with the glass across its full width.

Cockpit

With the race-derived carbon fibre monocoque, the cockpit is necessarily narrow but cleverly shaped to perfectly fit two large adults in race-position comfort. The doors swing open giving access over the bodywork into the cockpit, with steps built into the footwells to allow driver and passenger to lower themselves into their seats without having to step onto the seats themselves. Furthermore, the steering wheel is removable to aid entry and exit.

The driving position can be perfectly tailored with adjustable steering column, pedal box, and seat position and angle. The ergonomically sculpted structure also incorporates moulded recesses for the passenger’s arms and elbows to ensure comfort without infringing on the driver’s space – a great deal of effort has been made to ensure a perfect driver’s environment.

The removable steering wheel in itself is a work of art. It incorporates a large digital display, showing speed, gear selected, oil and coolant temperatures, driving mode and warning lights. To either side is a switchgear for indicators, horn and further functions, plus rotary thumbwheel selectors. The rim is beautifully trimmed in Alcantara and the central pad is covered in leather with an embossed Praga logo. The grip and paddles’ size and positioning have been designed perfectly to offer steering and shift control comfortably for small and large-handed drivers alike.

Just to the side of the steering wheel, in the slim centre console, are further controls including launch control, in-built fire extinguisher trigger and the electronic parking brake. To either side of the cockpit are the electronic door releases (supplemented by mechanical releases in the roof) plus mirror controls, while the aircon controls are mounted in a stylish ‘fighter jet’ style roof console: Praga’s design team taking inspiration from the company’s aviation and race car divisions.

An ingenious and hidden sprung-mount bracket above the centre console allows a smart phone to be securely mounted for use as a satnav and performance data monitor. There are storage pockets in the doors and behind the seats to ensure bottles and oddments can be safely stashed out of the way.

While everything in the cockpit is designed to contribute to the car’s low weight target and functionality, the aesthetics and attention to detail have not been overlooked – the beautifully machined thumbwheels and air vents, the finishing of the interior carbon fibre and the exquisite hand stitching of the Alcantara are perfect examples.

Market

Five years since project planning, and testing on track and road began, the Praga Bohema is currently undergoing its final development programme in the UK, Europe and Middle East and will be presented in its final production specification in the first half of 2023. Praga is targeting making the Bohema available as road-legal in all major hypercar markets and is now taking orders and in discussion with potential sales and aftersales partners in countries including Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, UAE, UK and USA.

Praga Cars UK will manage the Bohema’s global brand hub from a new headquarters in England, providing clients with hospitality, test drive and spec’ing facilities. In recent weeks the Bohema development team has undertaken a test programme from the Dunsfold test track made famous by Top Gear TV. Dry and wet sessions have focused on fine-tuning on-the-limit rear aerodynamics and on-road comfort in the UK, where full road-legal compliance was recently secured. Praga R1 racer and professional test driver Ben Collins – the most famous Top Gear Stig of all – added his Dunsfold expertise in recent weeks and hopes to re-visit with the final production-spec Bohema in 2023.

Praga plans to hand-build around 20 cars per year, focusing on quality and attention-to-detail over its four-to-five-year production programme: but a maximum of just 10 cars will be produced in 2023 ensuring the first Bohema owners are provided with a car and service of superb quality.

Assembly

Praga has a long-standing partnership with Kresta Racing, the Czech Republic’s most highly respected rally team, where its spotless assembly facility will hand-build each Bohema, beginning in the first half of 2023. The company is known for its high standards of car preparation and assembly and was founded by Czech rally legend Roman Kresta. His historic race victories include the Czech national rally championship on five occasions, whilst also spending a decade in the World Rally Championship, driving for the official Ford and Skoda WRC teams.

Praga in motorsport

Many up-and-coming drivers have cut their teeth in recent years in Praga’s renowned karts, which have been raced worldwide for more than a decade. Up to 7,000 kart chassis are built by Praga every year, making it one of the world’s most successful kart manufacturers, having twice won FIA world championships in the past decade.

In recent years, Praga’s R1 race car has also become a growing force in racing across the UK, Europe and North America. These carbon fibre monocoque, mid-engined race cars are known for their GT3-beating downforce performance and handling, combined with their relatively affordable running costs and ease of maintenance.

As an example of Praga’s successes, in 2020 the R1 scored overall victory in the highly competitive Britcar Endurance series; in 2021, now in its own class within Britcar Endurance, R1s took seven wins out of nine races against far more exotic and expensive-to-run GT3 machinery and prototypes: locking out P1 to P8 in qualifying at Oulton Park a highlight of the season. In 2022 a new one-make Praga Cup UK attracted widespread attention and top-level drivers, whilst R1 race wins have been achieved in Australia, Dubai and the USA.

Praga history

Praga is the biggest and oldest car brand you might not have heard of, but is proud of its rich history. It dates back to the late 1800s as a heavy industrial manufacturer of everything from bridges to steam trains, and it was a significant presence in Central Europe during the first half of the 20th century. It moved into vehicle production in the early 1900s, making its first car in 1907, becoming a major manufacturer of cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and aircraft. Praga-built trucks, in particular, dominated the roads in the firm’s native Czechoslovakia.

The company also developed a wide range of passenger cars and motorcycles, especially during the 1930s. These included the stunning BD500 motorbike and the sporting Praga Alfa car, which heroically won the important 1933 1000 Miles of Czechoslovakia road race 89 years ago: inspiring Praga’s plans to make 89 Bohema hypercars for road and track.

Car production declined after World War Two when the new communist government dictated that Praga concentrated on making trucks and transmissions rather than road cars. Skoda, instead, was favoured as the country’s car manufacturer of choice, with Tatra instructed to build luxury cars and trucks.

With the fall of Communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Praga – still a major presence around Central Europe – was able to set its own agenda again as a privately owned company. In the mid-1990s, whilst still producing trucks and large-unit gearboxes, Praga introduced a range of motocross motorcycles; followed in the early 2000s with specialist go-anywhere trucks that have most recently achieved strong results in Dakar rallies, and then in 2009 by racing karts. It also works in aviation, with major engine-testing contracts that give its engineers access to the very best aerodynamic expertise. An innovative, STOL Praga airplane is soon to take to the skies from the company’s Praga Avia division.

In 2012 Praga re-entered the race car market with the launch of the R4S then the R1 race cars that today win in one-make, mixed prototype and mixed endurance race series in Australia, Dubai, the UK and USA. The Bohema shares no single part with the R1, but the race car inspired the one-off street-legal R1R prototype – itself providing the catalyst for a more luxurious, higher-performance and visually dramatic two-seat hypercar: the road legal track-focused Praga Bohema.

ENDS

To access the full media pack, including high resolution imagery, visit: https://pragaglobal.com/media/ 

For all media enquiries and to arrange interviews contact:

Lucy Burman
Communications Manager, Praga Cars UK
lucy.burman@pragacars.com
+447801350641

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