The Top Gear Track Pack released in 2018 for Forza Motorsport 7 included an oddity named Vuhl 05RR. Styled like a Batmobile for the track, this extreme, carbon fiber-bodied machine has just made the transition from the virtual world to the street. It made its public debut during a private event held in its home country of Mexico, and it’s headed for American roads sooner or later.
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of Vuhl before. It’s a relatively young, low-volume manufacturer that specializes in making track-only cars. The 05RR is street-legal, the firm promises, though it still blurs the fine line that separates a car you can legally put plates on with one developed solely for racing. To keep weight in check, Vuhl limited creature comforts to the bare minimum. You’ll find seats upholstered in water-resistant fabric, a quick-release steering wheel wrapped with the same material, and an electronic dash.
The heart of the 05RR is a turbocharged, 2.3-liter four-cylinder borrowed from Ford. It’s an evolution of the engine that powers a number of Blue Oval-badged models including the born-again Ranger pickup truck, the entry-level Mustang, and the now-defunct Focus RS. In this application, it sends 385 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission. While those figures aren’t jaw-dropping on their own, keep in mind the 05RR makes the Mazda MX-5 Miata look obese with its 1,410-pound dry weight. It takes a neck-snapping 2.7 seconds to reach 62 mph from a stop, and it doesn’t stop accelerating until it reaches 158 mph — if you’re brave enough to get there.
Vuhl manufacturers the 05RR in Mexico City using parts sourced from a number of global suppliers. The carbon fiber body comes from Canada, according to Road & Track. The firm has set sights on the American market, but it hasn’t announced pricing information yet. To add context, the 05RR starts at about 120,000 British pounds (approximately $155,000) on the other side of the pond. The list of options includes a titanium exhaust, and a custom-made helmet which you may want, unless you want to install a windshield, or you enjoy tasting the local bugs.
