Wednesday 9th June 2010

Panoz Reveals Abruzzi Road Car

US maker takes the covers off new 'Spirit of Le Mans' coupe at La Sarthe

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This is the new Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans', the newest offering from Panoz. As we revealed back in March, the US sports car maker and racing constructor is using the Le Mans 24 hours as a platform to reveal its new road-going sports car.

Panoz took the wraps off the Abruzzi yesterday at the Circuit de La Sarthe, revealing what might bemost charitably described as a 'challenging-looking' front-engine, rear-drive coupe.

The company hasn't revealed exactly what engine will power the Abruzzi, but claims more than 600hp and 590lb ft of torque. The body is made from a recyclable and 'dent-resistant' composite.

"This is culmination of equal parts time, effort and dreams," said Don Panoz, founder of the company. "The Panoz brand always has prided itself on hand-building and delivering an exotic automobile and experience to our customers. Our new offering takes this to a completely new level."

Curiously, the Abruzzi will be road-legal in Europe, but a track-only device in the North American market.

That's it for specs and details so far - other than the fact that 81 examples will be built. Apparently that matches the number of times the Le Mans 24 Hours will have been run by the time the Abruzzi goes on sale in 2013...

[DELAZZURO]

different!

[louismchuge]

Holy smokes batman!

POW!!!

[Mr Fix It]

I prefer their previous race car:

[Mr Fix It]

And this shot:

[SAndals]

What you reported it could look like.....


What it actually looks like....

Don't you just love sketches!

[Roberty]

Yet another aesthetically challenging Panoz.

[djt100]

I like that, except for the front view and that is just Fugly

[bencollins]

A great shape for generating lift. Looks like an aircraft wing in profile.

[randombloke]

never really thought anyone would use the Skelta G-Force as a good place to take design cues from.

[Insight]

Style wise the Panoz doesn't work because the focus is on the headlights on the front wings rather than on the central grill in the middle of the car. The eye needs to identify the make of the car from the centre out, not vice versa.

However, you can have very big wings like this if you have an even bigger, shinier grill in the front-middle of the car to focus the eyes in the centre. Cars where this applicataion does work are on the Morgans and to a certain degree on the Chrysler 300C and the RR Phantom.

[lionrampant]

From the rear and top that's quite sexy imo. The snozz is just an abomination however.

[[AJ]]

Only the Americans could come up with something that ugly and stupid looking!

[alexpa]

Quite funky, very Batman. Like the top view and rear, front needs more thought/re-design

[BanjoMaster]

Reminds me of:



I've always liked Panoz since the first evolution of the GTR1 (the black DAMS one was an awesome machine!), but judging by the looks of this one I think their designer's had a stroke or serious head injury!?!

[Dagnut]

stink.

[militantmandy]

Panoz are habitual makers of ugly cars. At least the racer looked functional.

[DB9VolanteDriver]

This might look better with a different/larger wheel atyle. The wheel diameter looks lost in the very tall flanks of the car, esp at the front. Also, the conventional wheel style is not in keeping with the flat sides of the car. A modern 'flat face' design would be better IMO, something that is essentially flush with the flanks and has few or no spokes (think XJ220 as an example). Maybe someone can photoshop those wheels onto the car to see if it improves things.

[Johnpidge]

er................

Where Adam West??????

[DodoRacing]

Cars are looking so much alike these days and I appreciate them trying a fresh design though it's not easy to fall in love at first sight with this one.

Edited by DodoRacing on Wednesday 9th June 14:40

[parki11]

Panoz GTR1 crashed into a skelta g-force thats rear ended a morgan aeromax - thats just not right!