Praga, a historic Czech carmaker that’s been around since 1907, is well versed in the art of producing race cars, but what you see here is something of a competition car for the road.
Designed around three core principles - lightweight, carbon and petrol - the Bohema prototype is a mid-engined two-seater that weighs just 982kg. It’s said to be capable of delivering GT3 race car lap times on its semi-slick Pirellis, while also being comfortable and practical enough for road trips.
Interestingly, the Praga takes its 522kW, 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 heart from the Nissan GT-R R35, but with so little weight to lug around, the power-to-weight ratio is a staggering 512kW per tonne.
Part of the secret here is a race-derived carbon fibre monocoque, while the cabin is designed with 56 individual carbon fibre parts for a target weight of just 34kg. Despite the weight-saving focus, the vehicle still has an aircon, seating for two, with fully adjustable driver’s seat, steering wheel and pedals, and “generous” luggage space.
“The focus on keeping the Bohema under 1 000 kgs is demonstrated by Praga’s remarkable attention to detail in every aspect of the design, with extensive use made of carbon fibre, magnesium alloys and titanium,” Praga said.
The car’s independent suspension uses pushrod-operated adjustable dampers mounted horizontally for maximum travel while minimising bodywork height. Despite it being such a lightweight car, with just 180kg of unsprung mass, Praga says its development engineers were still able to keep the suspension supple enough for road use without having to resort to expensive adaptive suspension systems.
F1 and IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean, who has been involved in the development and testing of the Bohema, had this to say about the road-and-track machine:
“I was astonished by the Bohema’s amazing performance on track, its accessibility on road, and the ease of transition between the two,” Grosjean said.
“Praga has truly delivered on my challenge! On the road, you get a smooth ride, the car eliminates the bumps, you can chat with the passenger, and everything is calm and OK. Then simply switch focus and you are on the track. The same clothes, the same car, but the feeling changes and you are pushing the limit and collecting amazing lap times again and again, discovering unbelievable possibilities in the Bohema. And we still have a few months to fine-tune the on-road compliance and on-track lap times!”
The Praga’s aerodynamic package, which includes a unique rear spoiler design, is impressive in its own right, and results in over 900kg of downforce at 250km/h. Praga says the car has a top speed of just over 300km/h.
The company plans to build just 20 of these per year at its facility in the Czech Republic from the second half of 2023 onwards, and the price tag is set at €1.28 million euros, which equates to around R22.7m in our money.
Best you start saving.