VŪHL 05 headed for production

Boutique automaker VŪHL (pronounced “vool”) has announced that it will build 20 examples of the 05 sports car that debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month.  The 05 is a niche vehicle aimed at the KTM X-Bow and the Ariel Atom.

Stretching 146 inches long, 44 inches tall and 73 inches wide, the VŪHL 05 takes the form of an open-top two-seater with an aggressive look reminiscent of a race car.  Its chassis is made out of aluminum in order to save weight and increase torsional rigidity, and a steel subframe houses the engine and the rear suspension. 

The 05 tips the scale at 1,532 pounds when fitted with a body crafted out of reinforced plastic.  Buyers looking for a lighter car can order a full carbon fiber body at an extra cost.Â

The cockpit offers carbon fiber bucket seats, a digital instrument cluster and a removable steering wheel.  The list of options includes an integrated high-definition GoPro camera, padding on the seats, a fire extinguisher, a racing center console and an electronic dash data acquisition function.

Power comes from a 240-horsepower Ford-sourced 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine mounted transversally behind the rear seats.  Linked to a six-speed manual transmission that spins the rear wheels, the four-banger sends the 05 from zero to 60 mph in a little over four seconds.

A 285-horsepower variant of the mill that cuts the zero-to-60 time to 3.7 seconds is available for an extra $3,700.

On sale now in the United States and the United Kingdom, the VŪHL 05 costs $89,000 before taxes, options and shipping from the final assembly point in Mexico City are factored in. The first deliveries are scheduled to take place early next year.