LONDON/PRAGUE: Praga, an old-established Czech car brand that few have heard of, has just launched a track-focused supercar which should delight combustion fans.
The carbon-tubbed Bohema is unashamedly petrol-powered with not a battery cell in sight. It uses an uprated 3.8-litre V6 engine from the Nissan GT-R and is all about raw speed, with up to 700hp on tap.
The insectoid look of the Bohema is heightened by a narrow central cockpit which can only accommodate driver and passenger by staggering the seats.
When it comes to the bodywork and power plant, only the finest materials are good enough for the Praga, which is set to go on sale next year with a price tag of €1.28 million (RM6mil).
Praga is known in racing car circles but the Bohema marks the first genuine road car since the Praga Lady model in 1947. UK tuner Litchfield has modified the unit for increased reliability and power, including upgrading to new twin turbos.
The Bohema's engine breaths through titanium tubes right from the turbos to the tailpipes, giving a sharp crackle to the engine note, say the makers.
Effective silencing ensures that occupants can still "hold a conversation, even at well over legal road speed limits," Praga says.
The engine is mated to a Hewland sequential gearbox through a robotic clutch allowing for semi-automatic drive mode.
Exact performance figures have not been revealed but the firm hails the car's "unique rear spoiler design which results in over 900 kgs of down-force at 250kph."
Twenty Bohemas a year will be turned out from next year at a Czech factory.
Praga, a 115-year-old, multi-disciplinary company, dates back to the late 1800s. It began as a heavy industrial manufacturer of everything from bridges to steam trains and later switched to making trucks.
With the fall of Communism in Czechoslovakia in 1989, Praga made racing karts and motocross motorcyles before it re-entered the racing car arena in 2012.
