Canada set to invade Frankfurt motor show

Think Frankfurt motor show and what immediately comes to mind is German manufacturers showcasing the full might of their design and engineering nous.

However, this year's Internationale Automobil-Austellung will be graced by -- of all things -- a Canadian supercar. Yes, it originates from the country best known for lumberjacks, Mounties and maple syrup.

Pictured here is the ballistic (and weirdly named) Pléthore LC-750, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the US-built Ultimate Aero TT, currently the world's fastest 'production' car.

The low-slung coupe was conceived by Luc Chartrand, who embarked on a quest to build a supercar as long ago as 1995. He now heads a Quebec-based company called HTT, and the Pléthore LC-750 is their handiwork.

Propulsion comes from a mid-mounted Chevy Corvette ZR1-sourced 6.2-litre supercharged LS9 V8, and some careful fettling has yielded a claimed 550kW and 888Nm, which is channelled to the rear wheels by a six-speed manual gearbox.

In keeping with standard supercar practice, the LC-750 is clothed in carbonfibre bodywork with Lambo Murcielago-esque scissor doors. Lurking beneath the surface is aluminium double-wishbone suspension with adjustable hydroelectric shocks and anti-roll bars.

The car rides on 275/35ZR19 front and 345/25ZR20 rear tyres and stopping power comes from racing vented disc brakes with Brembo calipers.

The extensive use of carbonfibre and aluminium means kerb weight is a waif-like 1150kg -- roughly the same as the 1990s McLaren F1. As per the latter, the LC-750 features a central driving position.

The interior is decked out with leather-clad carbonfibre bucket seats, and the mod-cons list extends to a pair of reversing cameras and seven-speaker premium audio system.

The car isn't just a pipe dream as HTT claims to have pre-sold 10 cars at a starting price of 395,000 $CDN ($425K in our money).

The company has visions of eventually cranking out 50 cars annually, with a high degree of customisation (based on individual customer preferences) on the menu.

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