Automotive

Pop 'n' slide doors cut open the belly of the Beast

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The Rezvani Beast Alpha, with SideWinder doors open
The Rezvani Beast Alpha is powered by a 2.4-liter Honda engine
The nose of the Rezvani Beast Alpha is similar to the rest of the Beast range
This is the first Rezvani to feature  a roof and doors
Rezvani has named these SideWinder doors
The 2.4-liter Honda engine in the Rezvani Beast Alpha breathes through a twin exhaust
The Rezvani Beast Alpha has a targa top, making more a bit more luxury than you'd get in the regular Beast roadster
The Rezvani Beast Alpha will hit 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds
The SideWinder doors on the Rezvani Beast Alpha pop out and then slide forward
The Rezvani Beast Alpha is built around a Lotus chassis
The slim LED headlamps on the Rezvani Beast Alpha make it look mean
The Rezvani Beast Alpha is a more luxurious take on the Beast formula
The Rezvani Beast Alpha has a name to match its performance
The Rezvani Beast Alpha is compact, and weighs less than 1,000 kg
Carbon fiber has been used extensively on the Rezvani Beast Alpha
The race-inspired dashboard on the Rezvani Beast Alpha
SideWinder doors are a unique touch on the Rezvani Beast Alpha
The Honda engine in the Rezvani Beast Alpha is hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox
There is an optional automatic gearbox, but the Rezvani Beast Alpha is the sort of car that suits a stick-shift
There's a hint of Aston Martin Vulcan to the Rezvani Beast Alpha
The Beast Alpha will be priced from $205,000
The Rezvani Beast Alpha is low, short and wide
The Rezvani Beast Alpha on the move 
Behind the wheel of the Rezvani Beast Alpha
The seats are lightly padded, but don't expect a cosseting ride from the Alpha
Behind the wheel of the Rezvani Beast Alpha
Even the wing mirrors on the Beast Alpha are immaculately crafted
The Rezvani Beast Alpha
The Rezvani Beast Alpha hides its Lotus origins well
The Rezvani Beast Alpha on the move
Carbon detailing on the Rezvani Beast Alpha
The seats share plenty with the buckets in a Lotus Exige, but Rezvani has stitched its own touches into the headrests
The Rezvani Beast Alpha will hit 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds
The Rezvani Beast Alpha, with SideWinder doors open
The Rezvani Beast Alpha is more luxurious than previous Beasts
The Beast Alpha is Rezvani's first roadster with a roof 
A birds eye view of the Rezvani Beast Alpha
Rezvani opens the SideWinder doors on the Beast Alpha
Rezvani opens the SideWinder doors on the Beast Alpha
View gallery - 38 images

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a lot about a car from its name. The Nissan Leaf obviously isn't a fire breathing supercar, but with a name like Beast Alpha, the latest car to come out of Rezvani would certainly want to be. Thankfully, it looks like the Alpha has earned its moniker, with more than 500 horsepower and clever pop-out SideWinder doors.

This isn't the first Beast to burst forth from the Rezvani factory in California, but it is the first with a roof. Previous examples were built around the skeleton of an Ariel Atom, but the Alpha is based on a Lotus chassis and weighs 1,950 lb (884 kg). Although that's 300 lb (136 kg) heavier than the existing Beast, it's still light compared to most modern cars ... super or otherwise.

When it comes to looks, the Beast Alpha doesn't mess with the existing formula too much. The low nose and slim headlamps carry over from the Beast, as do the prominent hips and dramatic vents cut into the flanks. Although the roof is a simple targa top, the SideWinder doors are altogether more complicated, popping out from the side of the car and sliding forward to reveal the cabin.

Rezvani has named these SideWinder doors

With an enclosed cabin comes more luxury, although the idea of luxury is relative when it comes to stripped-back supercars like this. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both feature, as do power windows and air conditioning. Sure, Rolls-Royce won't be losing any sleep, but it's certainly a start.

Little luxuries aside, serious driving is still priority number one in the Beast. The instrument panel could have been lifted from a touring car, and the seats have barely any padding on them.

Power comes from a turbocharged Honda four-cylinder engine with 500 hp (373 kW), good for a zero-60 mph (98 km/h) sprint of just 3.2 seconds. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but those allergic to the clutch pedal are able to spec an automated sequential 'box as an alternative. Drivers are able to tweak the amount of power, the way the traction control intervenes and the power mapping through a switch on the console.

All of this adds up to a car that looks seriously special, both inside and out. Prices start at US$205,000 – not cheap, but exclusivity and performance never are. And if this doesn't seem like enough performance, there's always the Rezvani Beast X, with 700 hp (522 kW) and no roof.

You can watch the Beast Alpha turn a businessman into a, well, beast in the video below.

Source: Rezvani

View gallery - 38 images
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3 comments
Milton
ICE is dead soon enough. Tesla is pulling 0-60 MPH in 2.4 seconds for ~$120K
Bob
Electrics are so over priced ICE won't be dying anytime soon.
Jason Catterall
Yet another rehashed Lotus Elise... yuck.