Last fall, a new Italian sports car manufacturer made itself known. Its first concept car was definitely not reminiscent of the Ferraris or Lamborghinis of the world, and one could argue that it was sheer awkwardness from bumper to bumper. That sheer awkwardness is officially headed toward production, and manufacturer Vygor is providing a sneak peek.
Vygor calls the Opera the first RUV – that's racing utility vehicle – in the world. The company fancies that term to equate to a vehicle with the comfort of an SUV and the driving characteristics of a GT. Vygor even goes so far as to allude to the car as a "supercar," but its performance figures and chunky looks argue proficiently against that designation.
The Opera is built upon a tubular steel chassis and uses a composite and steel body. It weighs around 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg). The 2.0-liter 4-cylinder doesn't sound like much, but it puts out 414 horsepower and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm), which Vygor tells us is enough to send the car prancing to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.9 seconds. Top speed is listed at 162 mph (260 km/h).
In addition to the top-end 414-hp version, the Opera is also available in 345-hp and 295-hp tunes.
We assume that "the comfort of an SUV" is the reason that the Opera takes on such a bulky shape, because that shape certainly isn't helping its GT side. Also feeding the SUV claim is a permanent all-wheel-drive system with Torsen front differential and rear limited slip differential with electronic adjustment.
In anticipation of a 2013 launch, Vygor released a series of teaser photos this month. When compared to the original rendering, the production model has a new set of V-shaped taillights headlining a new rear fascia. As near as we can tell, the rest of the car remains the same, including the odd, curvy split grille.
Vygor plans to build 150 Opera models by hand starting next year. Reservations are available now.
We've included both the teaser photos and pictures of last year's concept in our gallery.
Source: Vygor via World Car Fans
A real SUV is built like a truck, probably looks like a brick, but will safely carry five to seven people and some cargo reasonably comfortably in a wide range of road (or lack thereof) conditions, day in and day out. If it doesn't do that, it's just a minivan.
This thing has some ground clearance, but no room in the wheel wells for any suspension flex, and the rims are way too big for off-road tires. So the ground clearance is just for show, and serves no purpose but to raise the Cg. The differentials sound interesting, but they're driven by a little engine with a witch's-hat torque curve. No word on the transfer case, but "Italian" and "durable drivetrain" are rarely spoken in the same sentence without a negative between them.
If somebody finds the look attractive, then more power to them. But the word "utility" has nothing to do with this vehicle.
Now that is a real Sports Utility Vehicle...
It was a utility 4wd coup produced back in the 80's. They made a couple different versions of it and it was common to see people put lift kits and bigger tires on them.
The design isn't for everyone but isn't that the point? It is more off road capable than a 2wd truck at least.
It doesn't have a bed but it would still tow a trailer. I tow my 4 wheeler around on a trailer with my car because I refuse to drive a truck. Something like this might be able to offer the towing capacity for a larger trailer than I pull with my car.
and @Martin Hone The Holden Ute looks nicer but the Chevrolet SSR is along the same lines. It has a Corvette engine and the interior and ride is more like a car.
this kind of power output sounds like is for good time but not going to be longtime!
folks like prancing Horse aka cavallino rampante or porsche wouldn't wander into this race car output territory.