Wells Vertige - New British sportscar

[DeejRC]

Jeesh, I don’t even get any cred for the pic
She was parked behind me and I had a wander around when I got back to the car. Actually the only car in the fields I bothered looking at this yr.
It’s much prettier in the flesh than in pics and looks a decently put together interior. The colour combo is very close to my old 4C.

[Sway]

DeejRC said:

Jeesh, I don’t even get any cred for the pic
She was parked behind me and I had a wander around when I got back to the car. Actually the only car in the fields I bothered looking at this yr.
It’s much prettier in the flesh than in pics and looks a decently put together interior. The colour combo is very close to my old 4C.

You got called a mate, which frankly I'm not sure you're worthy of...

[Lotobear]

The wheels do not suit the car and some of the close up pics of things like glass and shut lines make it look very 'kit car' but hopefully they can improve on that. I'm personally not too keen on the smiley intake on the nose.

But has the makings of a nice looking car with a bit of fine tuning.

[coppice]

Obviously the most important thing about a lovely new British sports car is ....err.. .its shut lines . A subject nobody even knew about . let alone cared about, until (you guessed ) Audi induced the motoring press into thinking it was important. And on a car like this it really isn't - what is important is size and weight .

[Sporky]

Most of the criticism of things like this comes from people who are never going to buy one, and is thus irrelevant.

[TGCOTF-dewey]

Lotobear said:

The wheels do not suit the car and some of the close up pics of things like glass and shut lines make it look very 'kit car' but hopefully they can improve on that. I'm personally not too keen on the smiley intake on the nose.

But has the makings of a nice looking car with a bit of fine tuning.

I agree on the wheels. Against the svelte 60s style French curve body they look incongruous.

It's similar when you see Caterhams and Westfields on big wheels.

Some cars just look better with a smaller wheel and deeper tyre.

[SpudLink]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

Lotobear said:

The wheels do not suit the car and some of the close up pics of things like glass and shut lines make it look very 'kit car' but hopefully they can improve on that. I'm personally not too keen on the smiley intake on the nose.

But has the makings of a nice looking car with a bit of fine tuning.

I agree on the wheels. Against the svelte 60s style French curve body they look incongruous.

It's similar when you see Caterhams and Westfields on big wheels.

Some cars just look better with a smaller wheel and deeper tyre.

I don't normally agree with the 'needs smaller wheels' view, but on this case I think you're right. But if you're buying one, I expect they will be happy to fit the wheels of your choice.

[Truckosaurus]

I'd be looking at small wheels too - I assume it doesn't have huge brakes due to the light weight, so should be plenty of choices to fit your taste.

If I won the Lotto I'd buy one of these over some bloated supercar that you couldn't drive in anger anywhere.

[Lotobear]

coppice said:

Obviously the most important thing about a lovely new British sports car is ....err.. .its shut lines . A subject nobody even knew about . let alone cared about, until (you guessed ) Audi induced the motoring press into thinking it was important. And on a car like this it really isn't - what is important is size and weight .

Even the shut lines on my 1968 Elan are better and that is an actual kit car laid up by turnip farmers. It's simply not acceptable in my view for the price being asked to have poor attention to something so fundamental as regular gaps between panels, it's not hard to get right. This car is in my view all about the 'look' and trying to capture designs from a bye gone era (Stradale 33 for example) - if weight and size is the only consideration there are many kit cars that will deliver on that criteria at a much lower price.

I like the car but it needs to be right in a number of areas to be able to charge the price they are seeking (IMO)

[LennyM1984]

Truckosaurus said:

I'd be looking at small wheels too - I assume it doesn't have huge brakes due to the light weight, so should be plenty of choices to fit your taste..

It may be the handbrake that is forcing them to fit larger wheels. My race car runs without a handbrake on 15s but if you fit the handbrake caliper, you need 17s to clear it.

[GTRene]

I have no problem with the size of those wheels, they are max size ok, but to me not to big.

what I would like to see in the beginning at least, was different wheels and a bit more to the outside just for looks ok, but still.

so maybe a bit wider (yes I know it does not need it with that power) and with some lip, so a bit more deep-ish dish? or how you call such in the UK.

but what I spot just now, they already did it a little bit...

see their more early examples >



and now that red example, a tiny bit of lip/dish :-) yes it need more then that to look even better, but then I guess with those smal-ish tires you need a bit wider wheels to create the lip in a good way?

but, U think its at least better then the early sort wheels and forget not, you can change things yourself and they are pretty new cars and a new brand just starting up so to speak.

[Robertb]

It would make a really pretty roadster. As it is, I like the way the glass extends over the roof, must make for a nice airy cabin. The little Mclaren F1 style window openings are quite fun I think. Really like this car.

[RustyMX5]

That actually looks rather lovely.

[TGCOTF-dewey]

On the topic of wheels, I personally think it would look better with similar sized / profiled wheels and tyres to the Janarelly.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/ca...

[GTRene]

TGCOTF-dewey said:

On the topic of wheels, I personally think it would look better with similar sized / profiled wheels and tyres to the Janarelly.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-britishcars/ca...

agreed those look good, also a lovely lightweight fun car, that.

[carlo996]

Lotobear said:

The wheels do not suit the car and some of the close up pics of things like glass and shut lines make it look very 'kit car' but hopefully they can improve on that. I'm personally not too keen on the smiley intake on the nose.

But has the makings of a nice looking car with a bit of fine tuning.

Not sure on the roofline, it has a whiff of Mean Machine about it.

[otolith]

Is there anybody making very low volume 60k cars with mass produced shutlines?

[Lotobear]

otolith said:

Is there anybody making very low volume 60k cars with mass produced shutlines?

I'm not sure that low volume cars around 60k with poor shutlines is a specific market segment that buyers would actively seek out though?

Surely Wells will be competing with folk who might be considering a Lotus, an A110 or even a lower model Porsche so it's not unfair to suggest that the quality, at least as perceived, needs to align with that sort of competion?

[SpudLink]

Lotobear said:

otolith said:

Is there anybody making very low volume 60k cars with mass produced shutlines?

I'm not sure that low volume cars around 60k with poor shutlines is a specific market segment that buyers would actively seek out though?

Surely Wells will be competing with folk who might be considering a Lotus, an A110 or even a lower model Porsche so it's not unfair to suggest that the quality, at least as perceived, needs to align with that sort of competion?

Are they competing with anyone. Maybe I'm misremembering, but I was under the impression they would only make as many as they had customers wanting to buy one.

[otolith]

Lotobear said:

I'm not sure that low volume cars around 60k with poor shutlines is a specific market segment that buyers would actively seek out though?

Surely Wells will be competing with folk who might be considering a Lotus, an A110 or even a lower model Porsche so it's not unfair to suggest that the quality, at least as perceived, needs to align with that sort of competion?

Alpine has produced 20,000 cars. It's a low volume mass produced car, as is the Emira to a lesser extent with production targets of 6000 cars per year.

Wells is looking to produce 25 cars a year. You can get cars produced in those numbers with the kind of build tolerances that mass produced cars have, but it will cost you. So it really comes down to - if you want something as niche and low volume as the Vertige, how many multiples of 60k are you willing to pay to have mass manufacturer shutlines?