One-time automotive innovator and chassis-supplier Hispano-Suiza has returned from the ashes and landed in Geneva. The new Hispano-Suiza is a coachbuilder, and its debut model is a special Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10.
While the body is indeed all carbon fiber, and yes, the MTM'd twin-supercharged 10-cylinder does make 750 horsepower (and 516 lb-ft of torque), at €700,000 or US$950,000 I'll be jumping on the "Are you serious? Overpriced."-bandwagon. But hey, I'm a Pagani kind of guy (like the wee Richard Hammond).
For that investment, buyers get quite a special R8 (I won't call it a true Hispano-Suiza for fear of incurring coachbuilt-auto fans' wrath).
The car is torn down, the chassis is stretched, the suspension is replaced, the center-locking wheels are 22 inches, and the interior is bespoke (while a few options, including the sound system and transmissions, carry over).
According to Automobile Magazine, "[the] design is that of Erwin Leo Himmel (Audi 1982-'94, VW Group Design Centre Europe '95-'99, Fuore 2000-2007)".
All together, the new Hispano-Suiza makes some mighty claims: 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 340 km/h (211 mph). Compare that to a standard R8 V10's 3.9-second run to 60 and a maximum velocity of 316 km/h (196 mph) and you can almost see where all the money is going: extensive chassis/body work, a hand-crafted interior, and mega-output.
Not only that, but supposedly a convertible version is in the pipeline, along with a hybrid model (hey, all the cool kids are doing it) that drops another 150-horsepower into the mix for a total of...hang on... 900 horsepower.
Word is the order books are open, and deliveries are set to begin in six months with hopes of 25-50 copies per year. Good luck, guys.
-By Phil Alex
10 Comments:
Nope. For that money you can buy two R8's,make one 'special' yourself and still save moeny!
Er...no thanks
useless
Kind of a 21st century version of the 1972 Stutz Blackhawk and will no doubt suffer the same fate.
They try to return about every 10 years. Well its not that bad, beside the price tag
No interior Pics? I like it from some angles, but I wont buy it, for that kind of money I would get a Zonda :D
Hideous!
Somehow looks overdone.. Bit too much bling in the design, but i've seen worse! The price tag does seem a nit excessive, especially when the original A8 looks slightly better..
ugly
way overpriced not buying it
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