HMC
Hidalgo
You
know, there are so many bright-eyed, optimistic young car companies out there,
but sadly most are doomed to failure. In fact check out the 'Top Ten Supercars
that never made it' and you'll get an idea of the sorts of vehicles which didn't
make the cut. I have a strong suspicion the HMC Hidalgo may be about to join
the list.
The
HMC (Helvetic Motor Company) Hidalgo is based on a Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG,
and that's good, very good. What's not so good is the fact that they then
replace the Benz's sleek bodywork with a retro-ish body that looks more like
something you might find on a budget kit car than a car costing US$ 410,000 (£
257,000).
That's
an extraordinary amount of money for a car like this. It borders on the absurd.
For that kind of cash you could have five SLK 55 AMG's, or a Ferrari 458 Italia
AND a Porsche 911 GT3! On top of that, you'd still have enough money to throw a
decent party, and celebrate the fact you didn't spend your hard-earned cash on
an overpriced SLK.
If
you're still seriously interested in paying a ridiculous sum of money for a
rebodied SLK, then here are the facts as they stand.
The
drivetrain remains the same as the SLK 55's. So that means a 5.5 litre V8
pumping out 360 horsepower, and 376 lb-ft (510 Nm) of torque @ 4,000 rpm. Power
is sent to the rear wheels though Mercedes' seven-speed 7G-Tronic transmission.
To
give credit where it's due, some of the team behind the Hidalgo are ex-F1
technicians. So hopefully the engineering will be top notch - but for the kind
of money they're asking it should be stellar.
HMC
only plan on making six cars a year.
