Meet the Lyonheart K, a 21st-century E-Type

Dramatic looks and dramatic price tag for bespoke sports car

Remember the 'Growler' that surfaced last year? No? Well it was essentially a 're-imagined' E-Type for the 21st century. And now it's officially on sale.

Gone are the googly quad headlamps and snigger-worthy name, to be replaced by sleek XJ-style lights and an equally bizarre, if somewhat less risqué moniker: meet the Lyonheart K.

Despite being the creation of Swiss design company Classic Factory, the Lyonheart K is being billed as a thoroughly British creation. "We want to make the 'Made In England' label into a truthful concept, not just a statement," says Robert Palm, CEO of Classic Factory. "Every part of the Lyonheart K is developed, engineered and hand-built in England."

This is a fair point: the cars will be hand-built in Coventry, and use the running gear from a Jaguar XKR, but with the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 tuned to make 550hp and 500lb ft of torque.

With the aluminium body weighing less than 1,600kg, that's enough to (theoretically) hit 60mph from rest in 3.7 seconds on the way to a limited 186mph.

All very nice. But it ain't going to be cheap. Order books for the first 50 cars are already open, but to get your hands on one you'll have to wait 18 months and part company with 495,000 euros (£415K). Before taxes. That's a lot of money for having to explain those wheels to everyone you meet...