Artega GT set to crash Porsche Cayman's party

Niche German sports-car manufacturer Artega has announced it will build its Porsche Cayman-rivalling GT coupe in right-hand-drive configuration from next year.

The compact sportster was shown as a mock-up at the 2007 Geneva motor show, and it appeared in production-ready form at the same show this year. It will sell in Europe for the equivalent of $120K.

Aston Martin aficionados may recognise a few familiar design cues, and that's no coincidence, as former Aston crayon wielder Henrik Fisker penned the curvaceous coupe. Also involved in its design was former BMW engineer Karl-Heinz Kalbfell.

As per the Cayman, the Artega GT's engine is mid-mounted and drives the rear wheels. The powerplant in question is the Volkswagen Group's 3.6-litre V6, which is good for 206kW and 360Nm. The V6 is hooked up to a DSG twin-clutch sequential transmission, also sourced from the VW parts bin.

Keeping weight to a minimum was a key design priority, according to its creator, and this was partly achieved by constructing the car around an aluminium spaceframe chassis, which is supplemented by a high-strength steel frame that supports the carbon-fibre body.

The result is an all-up kerb weight of 1100kg, which helps explain the claimed sub-five-second 0-100km/h split and 270km/h top whack. If these numbers are indeed accurate, the Artega GT would enjoy a handy performance edge over the Cayman S.

Agility and manoeuvrability should also be strong suits, as the car measures a diminutive 4m from stem to stern -- roughly the same as a five-door Toyota Yaris.

And even though it's a vertically challenged 1180mm tall, Artega claims the GT is "more spacious than its rivals".

Visually, there's a lot to like about the Artega GT. The face has clear parallels with the current breed of Aston Martins, while the roofline and muscular haunches have certain similarities with the Porsche Cayman. It may not be mould-breaking, but it is well resolved.

The GT will be built in a new factory in Delbrück, Germany, and its maker plans to initially turn out two cars a day, with production ramping up to 20 cars a week within two years. However, it will always remain a niche proposition as production will never exceed 1000 cars annually.

Will we see it here? It's possible, if a local distributor emerges, but a more likely scenario is that the odd grey import may trickle in.

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