Oullim
Spirra
Korean
cars may be known as the mass-produced, everything-looks-the-same type, but
Oullim Motors pulls a rabbit out of the hat. Their interpretation of the
supercar is called the Spirra and from the looks of it, it’s anything but
common.
The
Oullim Spirra is a sports car manufactured by Oullim Motors, a subsidiary of
Oullim Networks. The company headquarters are located in Yangjae-dong in
downtown Seoul while the production facility is located in Kyunggi-do province
just south of Seoul. Oullim Motors was co-founded in 2007 by former Ssangyong
Motors designer Han-chul Kim and Dong-hyuk Park, the founder and CEO of Oullim
Networks.
The
Spirra has been in production since 2008, and is available in various countries
including China, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and The Netherlands.
The
original mid-engine, rear wheel drive design featured a Ford-derived V8 engine
with an output of 320 hp (239 kW). This engine was from the 1999/2001 Ford
Mustang SVT Cobra. With the engine the Spirra has a claimed 0-62 mph time under
4.0 seconds with an expected top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h). A prototype,
developed to compete as a competent sports car, was codenamed the PS-II and
revealed to the public for the first time at the 2000 Seoul Motor Show. The PS-II
was renamed the Spirra before being debuted at the 2004 Beijing Motor Show.
Initial production attempts failed due to insufficient funds and the project
was delayed indefinitely.
The
Spirra lineup consists of four different trims under the names Spirra N, Spirra
S, Spirra Turbo and Spirra EX. All engines are based on the DOHC V6 2656 cc,
manufactured by Hyundai. These engines undergo extensive calibrations and
modifications for increased performance, power and responsiveness suitable for
applications requiring such characteristics.
The
Spirra is available in an all electric variant, similar to the likes of the
Tesla Roadster. Relying primarily on electricity, the vehicle was co-developed
by a Dutch company known as Electric Power Holland; they are also the sole
dealer of Spirras in the European Union and subsequently had exclusive rights
to develop the car. Specifications for the Spirra E is not yet available, but
unverified sources claim a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), a 0-62 mph time of
5.3 seconds, and a maximum cruising range of 120 miles (200 km).
The
racing version of the Spirra was designed to compete in the KGTM tour. The V6
2.7 24V Twin Turbo engine has been further tweaked to produce 600 hp (450 kW)
and reach 338 km/h (211 mph).
All
versions will be mated to a six-speed manual trans and the car’s body is made
of carbon fiber. Everything will be hand-made too so you know that every car is
treated with care.