- Donto Motors unveils its P1, a competitor to the KTM X-Bow and Ariel Atom.
- The track-ready P1 has only been in development for 18 months.
- Donto plans to export the two-seater to Europe as a street-legal car.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Donto Motor Company has revealed pictures of its P1 vehicle that will compete with the likes of the Ariel Atom and the KTM X-Bow.
Donto started developing the vehicle 18 months ago and has already started testing prototypes of it. Plans are to export the two-seater to Europe, but the company will attempt to keep the track-focused P1 street-legal in all markets.
The car's designer, Lucas Lopez, describes the car as having a split body with a floating exoskeleton. It also gets a removable roof and a lightweight, FIA-approved chassis that will keep curb weight under 1,600 pounds.
Right now a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder sourced from Audi has been installed in the prototype vehicles, but the power plant could change by the time the P1 is ready to hit the streets. However, we do know for sure that the firm is going with a German-engineered part.
A fully-equipped prototype is still in the works, and Donto says pricing will come in at right around $55,000.
Inside Line says: If the P1 gets to production, Donto will have created a vehicle that is sure to compete well with the Atom and X-Bow. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
alpine6speed says:
01:31 PM, 09/07/2010
Curious to see but the price will not be 55k I promise you that. The atom is way more money with the prper engine than ariel had led any of us to believe
scottyscooter says:
03:24 AM, 09/07/2010
I want one!
but not for $55,000.00.....
guapito says:
09:24 PM, 09/06/2010
this looks intriguing. i've always wanted an atom but wished it was more streetable. this could be the perfect alternative as long as they serve up the same level of performance / price.
mrbacon says:
08:20 PM, 09/06/2010
Looks freakin' sexy in that second picture where it has a roof.
forgeryfade says:
07:43 AM, 09/06/2010
Or I guess Japanese mech may be a better description.
forgeryfade says:
07:39 AM, 09/06/2010
Don't Lie To Me Argentina...If they can clad the "floating exoskeleton" in that stunning body I think the Ariel Atom will have some serious competition. Don't get me wrong, open air elbows out driving is a blast. But personally I'd much rather have something more than a overpriced go cart (imo). If I was in the market for a cars like Ariel Atom or the KTM X-Bow, id have to pick a kit car Lotus Seven. The Atom the X-Bow and even this P1 are great but their futuristic styling is a bit soulless (too mechanical).