It's not often that a new car company makes its way into Canada, however in the last few years, we have seen Kia and more recently Mitsubishi make their way into our shores, hoping to end up on our driveways.
The most recent addition is perhaps the most exciting of them all. I am referring to Panoz cars.
The first thing people ask after attempting to pronounce its name correctly is, what is it? In a nutshell, Panoz Auto Development is a low volume, American car company that opened its doors back in 1988. Its first production car, the Panoz AIV Roadster made its debut in 1990.
Over about a 10-year period, it produced the AIV Roadster in limited numbers, while working on a more upscale model in the meantime. That model upon birth was named the Esperante.
The Esperante has been on sale since the year 2000, however production only really started to pick up in 2003. 2004 will be a record production year with 170 cars expected to roll off the line. These are miniscule numbers -- Ferrari makes more cars than that in a month than Panoz does in a whole year; it would be a seriously bad year for TVR.
So the buyer of Panoz cars are definitely going to get an exclusive car, but is there anything more to it than that? I made the trip to Atlanta, Georgia, recently to visit the factory and drive the cars to see what all the fuss is about.
The first thing you'll learn is, that this is not like any other car made in America. The production techniques might look old school, but the materials used are nothing but modern. The chassis and body are made from aircraft grade aluminium, the interior is trimmed in the finest leather and, as trimming, you can choose between wood or carbon-fibre finishing.
Being a small car manufacturer, you can ask them to customise your car to the nth degree -- just don't ask for more space in the snug cabin. But a tailor-made car is not the point.
The options carry on in respect to the engines too. You can either have, from Ford SVT, the normally aspirated 4.6 litre V8 producing 320 bhp or the supercharged version of that engine which produces a silly grin inducing 420 bhp. You get transmission choices too, you can have a four-speed automatic, a five-speed manual or a six-speed manual gearbox.
Body options come down to a coupe or a roadster, but even these choices are not the point of this car either.
The point behind Panoz cars is to built the best small-volume cars on the planet, and to prove that even an American car company can build a proper sports car that can corner like the very best European cars.
I was able to drive the cars on both the roads around Atlanta and at the track at Road Atlanta Raceway. The handling really comes as a pleasant surprise. American cars usually have mushy chassis: just drive a Corvette C5 convertible, and you'll know what I mean.
The Panoz however feels light on its feet, and can really be tossed into corners in ways I just wasn't expecting it to, but am glad it did. While the handling might be top notch, the go power is not all that spectacular. With 420 bhp max, it'll still be left behind by the new Dodge Viper SRT-10, which just happens to cost a whole lot less.
Performance numbers hence are respectable, yet not spectacular, The regular Esperante should sprint to 60 mph from stop in 5.5 seconds, and tops out at 155 mph, while the GTLM should do the sprint in 4.7 seconds and top out at 175 mph.
So, while the speed ain't bad, it wouldn't be the reason you'd buy this car.
The gearbox certainly won't be the reason you'd buy this car. The Tremec manual gearboxes on offer (same as in a MG X-power SV) are so notchy that they need a map to find the next gear, especially third. Perhaps the gearbox is this car's biggest sour note.
Then there is the price. At a base price of CAN$115,000 for a coupe, the convertible for around CAN$125,000, and a GTLM which can be as much as CAN$165,000, in any currency it's a lot.
This might sound like I disapprove of Panoz cars, but the truth is far from it. Despite its shortfalls, the Esperante manages to do what most of today's sports cars fail to do -- to offer a unique driving experience. It felt special being in this car, it would put a smile on my face every time I went for a drive. It might not be perfect, but perhaps its idiosyncrasies add to its character.
Then there is the rarity factor, having a car that would make people point and look, and not seeing another one on the road, ever, adds to its appeal.
So, if you are a first time millionaire, you probably won't be interested in this car. However, if you've had your Porsches and Ferraris and want to try something different, then take a very close look at one of these, and since they will be available in UK next summer courtesy of Van Diemen Motors and Coventry Prototype Panels, maybe it'll find a home on your driveway too.