Boutique Beauties: Big Performance Bespoke Vehicles From Small Builders
If you're of the opinion that Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini are just too common and "off-the-rack" then you're in luck, there are plenty of boutique car manufacturers than can deliver big performance, bespoke style, and make you stand out from the crowd.
Whether you're into supercars, resto-mods, or off-road trucks, there's something for everyone's taste -- from tastefully re-done to completely over the top! Being unique comes at a cost, and that cost can easily run in excess of a million dollars. But if you're immune to sticker shock, some of these vehicles are truly amazing. Here are some stunning boutique cars and trucks from small builders that can deliver big performance.
Singer Vehicle Design 911
Singer Vehicle Design is the Swiss watchmaker of bespoke, custom-built Porsches. The California based company takes '90s era 911s, completely strips them down and then meticulously rebuilds them with a vintage look, modern mechanical features and state-of-the-art performance. A Timex will tell time just as well as a Rolex, but the Rolex is a work of art. So too is the Singer 911.
The Singer 911 DLS (Dynamics and Lightweight Study) is the ultimate expression of their resto-mod philosophy. Every component on the car has been made 50% better and the engine has been developed by Williams Advanced Engineering to produce a stout 500-horsepower.
W Motors Lykan Hypersport
Made famous in the film Fast & Furious 7, the Lykan Hypersport by W Motors is a supercar that looks like nothing else on the road. The Hypersport is powered by a 3.7-liter twin-turbocharged flat six-cylinder engine, that's based on Porsche's design and then developed further by RUF Automobiles to produce 780-horsepower.
With a 0-60 mph time of 2.8 seconds and a claimed top speed of 245-mph, the only thing bigger than the performance is the price tag. At $3.4 million it's not a cheap date, but there are only seven in the world so it has exclusivity working for it.
Icon Motors Derelict Rolls Royce
ICON Motors is known for their resto-mod Land Cruisers and Broncos. Vintage trucks that have the right look but with completely modern running gear underneath. You get the style and coolness of the vintage truck, but with modern mechanicals that won't leave you stranded.
Their Derelict Series follows along similar lines and their coolest project is the Derelict Rolls Royce. An un-restored vintage exterior with the heart of a Corvette under the long hood. It's got the look, the vibe and with an LS7 V8 it's got power for days. If boutique resto-mod is your thing, this is one of the best.
Alfaholics GTA-R 290
Everything that's wonderful about cars and driving is encapsulated in the Alfaholics GTA-R. It makes the right noises, it handles like a modern sports car, it's bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful and it's Italian.
The builders at Alfaholics do to classic Alfa Romeos what Singer does to Porsches. The result of that love and attention is a 240-horsepower Alfa Romeo GTA that keeps the vintage racer looks with modern suspension, electrics, brakes, and tires. If you're passionate about Alfa Romeos, Alfaholics is the place to go for bespoke, custom builds. They can transform just about any Alfa, but the GTA-R 290 is their best boutique build to date.
East Coast Defender UVC
Boutique builder East Coast Defender (ECD) takes Land Rover Defenders and transforms them into modern, ultra-capable, go anywhere machines.
The process starts with a complete once-over of the entire vehicle's body, mechanicals and electrics. Then ECD ditches the tired Land Rover engines and drops in modern Chevrolet V8 power in the form of the venerable LS3 V8. Finally, the Land Rovers are given all the kit necessary to take on the harshest roads and conditions anywhere in the world with winches, off-road tires and of course a more comfortable and up to date interior. Just because the journey is tough doesn't mean you have to do it without a little luxury.
Arash AF10
English sport cars manufacturer Arash is celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2019. In that time the company has designed, developed and constructed four different models, the Farboud GT, Farboud GTS, the AF8 and the AF10.
Of the four, the AF10 is the craziest. A 6.2-liter V8 is combined with four electric motors to develops a ludicrous 2,080-horsepower, and a carbon-fiber chassis and with a big wing out back have their work cut out for them keeping it all connected to the road. This is one hyper-hybrid and best of all, it looks like a road-legal Le Mans racer.
Hennessey Venom F5
Hennessey Special Vehicles is a special division within Hennessey Performance Engineering that builds boutique hypercars. Their last car, the Venom GT, was able to hit 270 mph, setting a new world record.
Hennessey's encore to the GT is the F5. The Venom F5 will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 8.0-liter V8 that's capable of producing more than 1,600-horsepower. All of that horsepower is used to shoot the F5 to an estimated 301 mph top speed. The Hennessey Venom F5 makes use of extensive carbon-fiber and active aerodynamics which will help the car handle as well as it accelerates.
Brabham BT62
Brabham's BT62 is a boutique race car that's designed to make you look like a hero every time you hit the track. Powered by a highly modified Ford 5.4-liter V8 with 700-horsepower, the BT62 isn't about high top speed, it's about lowering lap times. A race-style aerodynamics package with Ohlins adjustable dampers and Michelin racing slicks give the Brabham enough grip to challenge real Le Mans racers.
Even though the BT62 isn't a road-legal car, the company offers a conversion package that allows you to use the car on public roads. Best of both worlds!
Noble M600
Technology, innovation and advanced vehicle systems are driving the performance of supercars to ever greater heights. But what if you're looking for an old-school experience in a modern car? Then you need a Noble M600. It's an analog supercar living in a digital world.
The handbuilt Noble makes use of a unique engine, a 4.4-liter Yamaha-built, Volvo V8. It's the same engine that's in the older Volvo XC90. Noble strap a pair of turbochargers to the mill which brings output up to 650-horsepower. The analog M600 has no ABS, no traction control, no active aerodynamics, no electronic "nannies" what so ever. It's just you, the car and a whole lot of speed.
Weisman GT MF5
Weisman GmbH is a German sports car manufacturer that makes hand-built coupes and convertibles. The best of the bunch is undoubtedly the GT MF5. The MF5 makes use of BMW's epic S85 V10, that's the same engine that powered the M5 and M6. In the Weisman, the engine is tuned to 547-horsepower and is capable of giving the MF5 a top speed just over 190-mph.
The Weisman doesn't use sophisticated aerodynamics or cutting edge electronics. It's a modern BMW powertrain wrapped in curvy, retro-inspired bodywork that aims to give you the best possible experience behind the wheel.
Spyker C8 Preliator
Spyker Cars can trace its history back all the way to 1880 when two Dutch brothers founded the company. Their first car came in 1898 and they got involved in racing in 1903. Since then, Spyker has raced at Le Mans and even had their own Formula 1 team.
Spyker's current sports car, the C8 Preliator is a luxury sports car that is as unique as it is fast. The C8 uses a Koenigsegg 5.0-liter V8 engine with a supercharger that's tuned to produce 525-horsepower. The interior is a true work of art and is inspired by the companies history of making airplanes.
David Brown Automotive Speedback GT
David Brown Automotive is a British automaker that creates modern interpretations of iconic '60s cars. The Speedback GT is their elegantly styled contemporary take on the classic Aston-Martin DB5. Don't think of it as an attempt to copy, think of it as a tribute, with similar shapes and flowing lines.
Using a Jaguar XKR as the base, the Speedback GT keeps the chassis, drivetrain and some of the running gear, but ditches the Jag's bodywork in favor of a hand-crafted body constructed using traditional techniques. The performance is thoroughly modern and the Jaguar 5.0-liter V8 puts out 600-horsepower making the Speedback GT significantly faster than the car that inspired it.
Ariel Atom V8
Driving the Ariel Atom V8 isn't like driving a normal car, it's not even like driving a supercar! It's a totally different experience of speed and is like riding the blast wave of an atomic explosion.
The Atom is fitted with a 500-horsepower 3.0-liter V8 that revs to 10,600 rpm. This ferocious power is mated to Ariel's sublime chassis, which tips the scales at a featherweight 1,200-pounds. That means that the Atom V8 can rip a 0-60 mph time in 2.3 seconds! This car was made for race tracks but is completely road legal, however, its massive performance ability is wasted on the street.
W Motors Fenyr Supersport
W Motors is the first luxury supercar manufacturer to be established in the Middle East. It was founded in Lebanon, is based in Dubai and its cars look like they're fresh from the set of a Hollywood Sci-Fi flick.
The Fenyr Supersport, named after a wolf in Norse mythology, is the newest and second car to be produced by W Motors. Powered by an 800-horsepower RUF-developed 3.8-liter flat six-cylinder engine with a pair of turbochargers, the Fenyr will launch to 60 mph from a stop in 2.7 seconds and on to a top speed of over 245 mph. A fitting follow-up to the Lykan Hypersport.
Apollo Automobili IE
It looks like a spaceship, it has a Ferrari V12 and produces a ton and a half of aerodynamic downforce. This, in a nutshell, is the Apollo IE. The 6.3-liter V12 churns out a mighty 780-horsepower and given that the Apollo IE only weighs 2,755 pounds, it's capable of sub-three-second 0-60 mph runs.
The IE stands for Intensa Emozione, which is Italian for "Intense Emotion," and Apollo is a German supercar manufacturer based in Affalterbach, Germany. Affalterbach also happens to be the home and headquarters of AMG, the performance division of Mercedes-Benz.
Spania GTA Spano
Made in Spain by Spania GTA, the Spano supercar is a beast of a machine. Behind the curves and vents and angles lies a brute of an engine, an 8.4-liter twin turbocharged V10 lifted from the Dodge Viper. In the Spano, the motor produces 925-horsepower and is paired to a seven-speed, paddle shifted transmission.
The chassis is a sophisticated piece of engineering and consists of a carbon-fiber monocoque with titanium and kevlar reinforcements. The rear wing can be controlled from the cockpit along with the opacity of the panoramic roof. That's pretty cool.
Zenvo TS1 GT
Danish supercar maker Zenvo made waves back in 2009 when the ST1 launched with 1,000-horsepower and 233-mph top speed. Zenvo's follow-up to the ST1 is the TS1 GT. It's not an all-new car, it's an evolution of the original ST1.
The engine is new and is a 5.8-liter V8 with not just one, but two superchargers. Those blowers help the engine create 1,100-horsepower and the car is electronically limited to 230-mph. The TS1 is marketed as a Grand Touring car. It's focused more on comfort and high-speed, long-distance trips. If you're interested in more performance and track-focused tech, Zenvo will happily sell you a track-only version of the TS1, the TSR.
Rimac Concept-One
The Concept-One is an all-electric supercar made by Croatian manufacturer Rimac. Powered by four electric motors producing 1,224-horsepower, the Concept-One is one of the fastest accelerating cars available today with a 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds.
The Rimac uses an all-wheel torque vectoring systems that allows power to be continuously moved to the wheel that has the most grip. The car also has the ability to switch between being front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Rimac Concept-One is the future of boutique supercars and a phenomenal demonstration of the power, performance, and capability of an all-electric car.
NIO EP9
Like the Rimac, the NIO EP9 is an all-electric supercar, but unlike the Rimac it's designed solely for the race track. The chassis is made from carbon-fiber and the construction and design are based on Le Mans prototype racing cars. Active suspension and a full underbody aero tunnel keep the EP9 cemented to the race track.
Four electric motors, positioned at each wheel, contribute to a combined 1,341-horsepower. The EP9's prodigious power and astonishing grip have helped it break track records all across the globe and it is currently one of the fastest cars available. The future of boutique track cars looks mighty bright!
Devel Sixteen
Excess can be a good thing, sometimes, and the Devel Sixteen is the definition of the word. It's stats, performance claims and design are cartoonishly excessive and that is what's so wonderful about this car. You're going to want to sit down for this spec list. The Devel is equipped with a quad-turbo V16 engine displacing 12.3-liters. That monster produces a claimed 5,007-horsepower! Five. Thousand. Horsepower.
Devel claim that the final, production-spec car will be able to reach a top speed somewhere in the neighborhood of 310 to 320 mph. That's pretty crazy, but not as crazy as it's 0-60 mph time of 1.8 seconds.
