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.
The 2011 Opera concept
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.
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