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Supercars You Never Knew: 12 Weird Car Models You’ve Probably Never Heard Of


Legendary rock star Frank Zappa himself once said that you can’t consider yourself a country unless you have beer and an airline. But to those brief criteria, you can now add a third – you also need to have a breakthrough in the production of a supercar.

It’s extraordinary how many companies have sprung up from countries without a long pedigree in the car industry, all of which are promising vehicles that could threaten the establishment of supercars. However, the rewards are potentially large, like Croatia Rimac demonstrated through the recently announced joint venture with Bugatti.

None of the manufacturers featured here have had the same impact, but all are bold in their ambitions. So join us on a tour around the world as we capture the attention of some of the world’s lesser-known supercars.

1. Sin R1 – Bulgaria

The Eastern European country took home the award for most attractively named manufacturer, with Sinful Cars conjuring images of engines that offer equal degrees of menace and charm.

There is a connection to the British, as Sin started here in 2012, before moving to Germany and then Ruse in Bulgaria, the hometown of founder Rosen Daskalov. The R1 is a lightweight two-seater with a spaceframe that uses a Corvette V8 engine, delivering up to 650 hp in supercharged guise. There is also a 755bhp hybrid model. With the fastest version running 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds, the R1 promises a driving experience full of potential.

2. Zenvo ST 1

While neighboring Sweden has had a significant impact on the car industry, with Volvo, Saab and at the top of the market Koenigsegg, Denmark is not much to argue with.

Trying hard to change this is Præstø-based Zenvo Automotive, which offers various versions of the TS (Twin Supercharged) supercar, with power often in excess of 1,000 hp and a price tag of over £1 million. Brother. Unfortunately, in the UK, Zenvo is more likely to be remembered for the dismal review of the TS’s predecessor, the 1,086bhp ST1, by TV’s Top Gear in 2014.

In the words of then-host Jeremy Clarkson, “a cooling fan malfunctioned” and the car overheated and caught fire. The image of a burning Zenvo car is one of the images that many petrol enthusiasts will never forget.

3. Beck LM800 Switzerland

Better known for the Geneva Motor Show than for its own cutting-edge creations, the Swiss supercar’s contribution was in 2007 with the LM800, developed by a small company called Beck, based near Bern.

The “LM” references Le Mans, and the inspiration for the famous enduro is clear in the design, although it might be unflattering to suggest that the famous Swiss chocolate Toblerone is also a reference point. On paper, the LM800 is impressive – Kevlar construction, aluminum and carbon fiber, twin-turbo 4.2 liter 650hp V8, top speed of 219mph and 0-62mph in 3 seconds. However, the lack of buyers due to its more than £300,000 price tag is what makes it truly disappear from view.

4. Tushek Renovatio T500 – Slovenia

The former Yugoslav republic targeted the last car market in 2011, with Shayton Equil Balance, a $1.4m (£1m) Pagani Zonda rival announced to show off a lot but without success
to go beyond the financial stage. So the fact that Renovatio put it into production is an advancement.

Its €300,000 (£260k) price tag makes it seem like a bargain compared to the Balance, and so you get a pretty smart looking carbon fiber sports car, with an Audi RS 4 engine 4.2 liters 444bhp, that’s
at home both on the road and on the track. The company was founded by Slovenian driver Aljosa Tushek, has since changed its name to Tushek & Spigel Supercars, and is now said to be working on a 1,333bhp hybrid supercar.

5. Marussia B1 – Russia

The Marussia name will resonate with motorsport fans, following a Formula 1 tour from 2012 to 2014 – an exercise that ultimately ended in tragedy following the death of the driver. racing Jules Bianchi due to injury at the 2014 Japanese GP.

The team is essentially a subsidiary of Moscow-based Marussia Motors, first best known for the B1 in 2008. The mid-engined two-seater is considered a rival to lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari 458 Italia, and comes with three engine options from Cosworth – a 300hp 3.5-liter V6 and a twin-turbo 2.8 V6 with either 360hp or 420hp – while an aluminum tube and fiber panels Carbon keeps the weight down to 1,100kg. Despite its public debut, the momentum stalled and by 2014, Marussia Motors was disbanded.

6. Argyll Turbo GT – Scotland

Scotland has a rich history of technological innovation, but the country has never been at the forefront of exotic car production. A maverick called Bob Henderson from Lochgilphead tried to change this in the late Seventies with this mid-mounted 2+2 engine.

Henderson produced custom cars, so a variety of V6 and V8 engines were offered, although power output was never announced. Argyll weighs (about 1,500kg) and is a more expensive Porsche 911 at that time, so sales were low. But the fact that the project is privately funded, it’s a tribute to Henderson that his car has ever seen the light of day.

7. Arrinera Hussarya – Poland

Hussarya means cavalry in ancient Polish, and Arrinera’s supercar came out pretty well when it was announced in 2013. It has the proof of success: carbon fiber and Kevlar construction, engines. The 6.2-liter V8 641 hp, 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 211mph. But the car was never the same.

However, co-founder Lukasz Tomkiewicz told Auto Express he is working on a 2,000bhp EV that won’t launch until battery technology gives it a genuine 500km (310 miles) range.

8. Hulme Can Am – New Zealand

The crack in the Kiwi’s supercar lineup comes from the shape of the Hulme Can Am, a carbon fiber mid-engined roadster powered by a 600-horsepower Chevrolet V8 that takes its name from the hand’s 1967 world champion. F1 racer Denny Hulme (born in Motueka on New Zealand’s South Island).

Testing in at around 980kg, the CanAm Spyder is a truly lightweight car, and this translates into a memorable driving experience, as Auto Express discovered when special correspondent John Barker tested it in 2011. “Low weight and large, large capacity are a great combination. . Hit the throttle aggressively in any gear and the immediate thump in the rear is almost as shocking as the sudden roar that accompanies it,” he reports.

Hulme announced plans to build and sell 20 Can Ams in 2011, but with a price tag of just under £300,000, it’s unclear how many – if any – will find a buyer.

9. Lykan HyperSport – Lebanon

Launched in Beirut in 2012, but then based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, the rather small-named W Motors caught the attention of petrol enthusiasts around the world when Its limited edition Lykan HyperSport claims to star in high-profile Hollywood series. Fast and the Furious. The late actor Paul Walker was at the helm of one in 2015’s Furious 7, and HyperSport featured in a number of thrilling scenes in the film.

Everything about the car is outrageous – it has a 780hp twin-turbo 6 engine developed by the Porsche RUF tuner, delivering 0-62mph in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 245mph, plus it also cost around £2.6 million when new, possibly due to the 440 diamonds set on the headlights. Only seven HyperSport units were produced.

10. Onuk Sazan – Turkey

Another supercar that has made headlines and promises much is the Onuk Sazan in 2009. Based in Istanbul, Onuk – better known as the maker of high-speed trains – has certainly been there is a fascinating theoretical story about the car; it was designed and named by the company’s Ekber Onuk in memory of his son, Kaan “Sazan” Onuk, who was killed in a road accident in 1996.

Prototypes that have been produced show a car with a TVR on it, and there are two engine options – a turbocharged Nissan V6 that delivers up to 450hp and another. Chevrolet Corvette– V8 power is tuned to around 520bhp. As with many supercar stories, the road is quiet, and although Onuk is still available online, our attempts to contact the company have failed.

11. Vencer Sarthe – Netherlands

The Dutch have made several attempts at the supercar market. The Spyker has endured the existence of roller coasters, but arguably a more intriguing model is the £250,000 Vencer Sarthe.

This 622bhp carbon fiber machine developed from Vriezenveen was built by one-time plumber Robert Cobben. His dream is to create a supercar that is unencumbered by electronic aids, but still usable on a regular basis. At the heart of it is a Hennessey-tuned turbocharged GM V8, and the Sarthe received rave reviews in 2014. But again, little has been seen or heard of it since.

12. Laraki Epitome – Morocco

Africa’s premier supercar endeavor is Casablanca-based Laraki, founded in 1999 by wealthy car importer Abdesslam Laraki.

After embarking on yacht manufacturing and car building, the company first expressed its intent to build cars with the large V12 Borac in 2005. But it wasn’t until the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in 2013, that the Laraki did. really stood out with the incredible Epitome. . Boasting an amazingly custom design and a twin-turbo Corvette V8 tuned to 1,200 hp, it couldn’t help but attract global attention, especially given its $2 million price tag (1) .46 million pounds).

French-Moroccan rapper Montana – whose biggest hit was, ironically, “Unfornough” – was convincing enough to explode. But after the initial excitement, Laraki goes silent and the Epitome doesn’t materialize.

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