Wednesday 3rd July 2013

Vuhl 05 revealed

285hp Ford Ecoboost power, 695kg dry weight and £60K pricetag for new Mexican track day special

---

So, after a bit of teasing the cover is off the Vuhl 05 and PH has had a quick chat with one of its creators. More on this in due course but first the numbers Vuhl has been keeping under wraps so far.

We knew the Vuhl was going to be a back to basics speedster style track day toy in the mould of the Lotus 2-Eleven or KTM X-Bow. And with the knowledge it would have Ford power we took a punt on the 3.7-litre V6 used by Ginetta, Morgan and others. Well, we were half right.

Stripped back and set up for the purist driver

The Vuhl actually uses the 2.0-litre Ecoboost turbo engine, derived from that in ‘our’ Focus ST but, perhaps more relevantly for this comparison, also used by Radical for its SR3 SL. The road-going Radical would have to be a pretty close rival for the Vuhl but the Mexican wins hands down on the beauty stakes and gets 285hp from the Ford unit against the Radical’s 240hp, though a 300hp upgrade is available. The Vuhl has a weight advantage though, tipping the scales at 695kg against the Radical’s 775kg – both dry weights. It’s also £10K cheaper than the Radical’s £70K, the base Vuhl starting at just over £59K. If very slightly down on power and slightly less exotic compared with the KTM X-Bow R it’s bang on the money for weight and performance and, given the looks, this is the car most will compare it to.

At the insistence of Guillermo Echeverria, one of the brothers behind the project, it also has a manual gearbox. “This was an important topic,” he told us. “It’s what we wanted for the car, you are the difference!” In keeping with the purist ethos there’s no ABS either, Guillermo promising fantastic pedal feel from the Brembo-based braking system.

£60K is bang on the money against rivals

Good for 400hp per tonne, the Ecoboost’s punchy 310lb ft of torque should ensure plenty of get up and go, Vuhl quoting 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 152mph. Though it’s safe to say lap times are the kind of numbers the Vuhl will really be chasing.

Based around a bonded/extruded aluminium structure like an Elise, the Vuhl comes as standard with GRP bodywork though the moulds can also be used to create carbon bodywork, saving a further 25kg. Guillermo wasn’t willing to discuss how much this would cost but did reveal a more cost effective weight saving package would also be available, cutting 18kg.

Vuhl is gearing up to build 50 05s per year, the first 20 of which will be Edition One versions with entirely black anodised aluminium on the inside, matt silver bodywork, 17-inch/18-inch wheels (standard cars use 16s up front and 17s at the rear) and a number of other special upgrades not available on the standard car. These will cost just shy of £70K and go on sale from spring next year.

You can see the car in action at Goodwood next week where PH will be hitching a ride for an early taste of what the car can do in anger. Stay tuned for this and more from our chat with Guillermo.

 

[Civpilot]

That's actually pretty cool looking and if in the market for a x-bow it would certainly catch my eye.

Love the bottom picture with Sir Moss cheekly sitting on the front wing