W Motors, the first Arab carmaker, is the brainchild of Lebanese entrepreneur and Coventry University graduate Ralph Debbas.
Officially founded in May 2012, the company aims to create two model lines named after different species of wolves. The first will be an exclusive ‘hypersport’ car, which will be hand built at Magna Steyr’s exotic facilities in Turin, Italy. RUF Automobile in Germany are W’s technical consultants.
Known for building high-performance cars, most recently the CTR3 in 2007, RUF Automobile created a lightweight tubular chassis and developed the 750hp twin-turbocharged flat six-cylinder engine mounted behind the two-passenger cockpit. The car is capable of 2.8-second sprints to 62mph and a 385km/h top speed. A rolling chassis is currently being tested with the goal of further improving performance.
Cloaked in light- and heavy-vacuumed carbon fiber panels, the hypersports model’s design was inspired by LeMans racing cars of the 50s and 60s and was devised entirely in-house by W Motors’ team – all three graduates of Coventry University’s transportation design course. Comparable in size to a Lamborghini Aventador, the vehicle features clamshell front and rear ends and unique opening doors.
Some of the more exclusive design details include gold and platinum dials, LED headlamps with integrated precious stones and crystal fragments in the paint. The first holographic display with interactive motion will project information three-dimensionally in the cockpit. A 24-hour concierge service and ‘flying doctors’ service team – who monitor in the vehicle in real-time – will also be available to clients.
W plans to launch the hypersport model at the Qatar motor show in January 2013 with prices starting at US $3.4 million. Only five will be built. It will be sold through W’s ‘boutique’ showroom in Dubai.
Its second vehicle, a supersports car, will focus on driving pleasure and performance. It will be offered at a more accessible price of $2m and be launched in a few years.
