DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: VLF Destino
US sports car start-up courts Aston Martin controversy, unveils Corvette V8-powered missileWhat happens when former GM product chief Bob Lutz, Aston Martin V8 Vantage designer Henrik Fisker and US manufacturer Gilbert Villarreal get together?
The American dream happens – a locally-built, rear-drive, 321km/h sports car dubbed the VLF Destino.
First glimpsed in 2013, the car will be developed by newly-formed VLF Automotive in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and will be priced from $US229,000 (about $A330,000).
It's powered by the same 6.2-litre supercharged LS9 V8 that motivates the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, belting out 470kW at 6500rpm and 820Nm at 3800rpm.
That's enough mumbo, says VLF, to propel the supercar to 100km/h in around four seconds, then on to a top speed of just over 320km/h, or 200mph. But as the new company claims, it's not just about sledgehammer power, it's about luxury too and the interior has various layers of leather to prove it.
Pitched as "the leading high-performance four-door GT car in the world", the sports car will take on the likes of the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide.
Interestingly, VLF's head of design, Henrik Fisker – who created the now-defunct Fisker Karma hybrid sports car – is suing Aston Martin for $140 million after the British company allegedly accused him of plagiarism for the company's second car, the Force 1 sports car.
Details on the VLF Force 1 will be revealed tomorrow but it will be powered by a V10 engine likely to be borrowed from the Dodge Viper.
While controversy surrounds the new start-up US car-maker, 83-year-old chairman Lutz said it was all systems go for the brand when VLF Automotive officially announced its existence just three days ago.
Lutz has been installed as chairman, Villarreal is chief executive and Fisker is head of design and product strategy.
"When Gilbert and I formed VLF Automotive in 2012, we wanted to take Henrik’s beautifully proportioned design, replace the hybrid gas-electric power train with a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 drivetrain, and create a bespoke four-door luxury car with outstanding performance," said Lutz.
Stay tuned to see whether Aston Martin's bid to stop VLF Automotive showing the Force 1 sports car tomorrow is successful.
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