No helmet required: Racecar-maker Dallara plans lightweight sports car

By Stephen Edelstein August 15, 2014

Legendary designer Gian Paolo Dallara and his company have built many great cars, but you probably haven’t driven any of them.

Dallara can take credit for scores of successful racecars, from Indycar to Formula One. The company even worked on the electric Spark-Renault SRT_01E for Formula E, and did engineering work for the KTM X-Bow, Maserati MC12, and Bugatti Veyron.

However, Dallara hasn’t built its own road car. Not yet, anyway.

England’s CAR magazine reports that a Dallara-badged sports car will arrive in 2017. Befitting a car designed by a man and company heavily involved in racing, it will emphasize lightness and simplicity.

The inspiration for the Dallara won’t be supercars, but rather minimalist sports cars like the Lotus Elise and Alfa Romeo 4C. The target curb weight is just under 2,000 pounds, so don’t expect a lot of luxuries.

The car will reportedly have a manual-folding roof, few accessories beyond air conditioning, and no electronic driver aids. Like the 4C, it will have unassisted steering.

RELATED: 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C first drive

The engine will be a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with around 300 horsepower, although Dallara hasn’t made a firm commitment with a supplier yet.

So while the Dallara will be fast, its main selling point will be a driving experience unencumbered by electronics and unnecessary distractions.

That will be a privilege enjoyed by few. Dallara plans to build just 100 units per year, priced at 80,000 euros a pop.

That’s about $107,000 at current exchange rates, but it’s probably cheaper than most of Dallara’s other cars.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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