Wells Motor Cars, a new automotive company from the UK, is ready to launch their first model called the Vertige. Destined for limited production, it is a lightweight mid-engined sportscar with a monocoque chassis and a Ford-sourced motor. As reported by Autocar, development work started in 2014 by founder Robin Wells who wanted to buy the ideal sportscar but couldn’t find it in the market, so he decided to build it from scratch. Engineer Robin Hall of Hall Engineering stepped in as project manager in 2016. After seven long years of development, the car is finally ready for the road.
The Vertige is based on a steel monocoque chassis with tubular sub-frames and a steel roll-cage for a torsional rigidity of 47,000 Nm/deg. The composite body panels with sexy curves and dihedral doors look like a mix of British classics with a touch of TVR. It has compact dimensions with a length of 4.0 m and a width of 1.75 m, but the most important thing is the low weight of just 850 kg.
It is powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine by Ford producing 208 hp and 210 Nm of torque in standard form – power can be increased at the will of each customer. This may not sound much for a modern sportscar, but the lightweight nature of the Vertige means it can accelerate from 0-96 km/h in 4.8 seconds and has a top speed exceeding 225 km/h. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.
The suspension consists of aluminum double-wishbones and coil-overs front and rear, while the 17-inch Speedline rims are shod in 205/45 Pirelli Pilot Sport 4 tires. Brakes are unassisted, with 280 mm ventilated discs in all four corners and four-pot aluminum brake calipers. For the car’s handling, Well’s engineers benchmarked models like the Caterham Seven, the Porsche Cayman, and the MINI, so we expect the Vertige to be quite sharp and involving.
In the two-seater cabin we find a beautiful analog instrument cluster behind the leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, Alcantara upholstery on the dashboard, a wooden gearknob on the high-positioned central tunnel, and a modern 7-inch touchscreen on the center console. Equipment includes navigation, Bluetooth, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, two USB slots, two speakers, and optional air conditioning. As for the luggage space, there is a 206-liter compartment at the back and an additional 15-liter frunk next to the spare wheel.
The Wells Vertige will make its official debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The first seven examples of the car will be produced by Hall Engineering by spring 2022 and are already spoken for. Series production is planned for the future in Well’s new factory located at Itchington, Warwickshire, with a maximum of 25 units per year. As for pricing, it starts from £ 40,000 (US$ 55,131), which sounds reasonable for an exclusive custom-made sportscar.
