British-based niche car builder David Brown Automotive (DBA) has announced its first project, the Jaguar-based Speedback.
The company takes a Jaguar XKR as a base, keeps the underpinnings such as the engine and gearbox, but discards the exterior panels for a bespoke look that harks back to classic '60s British designs like the Aston Martin DB5.
DBA calls the Speedback a "handcrafted GT" and says the project has been 18 months in the making.
Company founder and CEO, David Brown, says the car is engineered and handcrafted in Coventry, using traditional British materials.
Powered by Jaguar's supercharged 5.0-litre engine, which belts out a very handy 375kW/625Nm and rips from 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, it's likely the DBA Speedback would be similarly brisk.
Although the company has released no information on the car's vital statistics, such as whether kerb weight has been reduced over its donor car, engine output can be tailored to customers needs.
That means the blown V8 can be tuned to develop more than 375kW, which would improve performance significantly over the $208,645 Jaguar XKR coupe.
With its classic, debonair look, the new model has already raised a few eyebrows in the motoring.com.au office, but again DBR is not talking about price yet. It's a safe bet it'll be comfortably more than double the XKR's sticker price.
DBA's founder and CEO, David Brown, said the launch of the Speedback was the "realisation of a dream" and "the result of skilful and dedicated work by a team of highly talented designers, engineers and craftsmen".
"I am delighted at the reaction of the media, our suppliers, potential customers and friends, and I look forward to presenting the car to the public in Monaco," he said of the vehicle's first outing at April's Top Marques show in Monaco.
"The Speedback name perfectly reflects the classic sports car tradition of the past, whilst also doing justice to the sophisticated silhouette of the car's hand-built body and unique styling which features amongst much other detail, a fold-down picnic seat," noted Brown.
"This car will appeal to anybody who desires a truly individual sports car, which can boast a fine British pedigree and which will only be produced in limited numbers, thus ensuring the kind of exclusivity associated with Britain's once proud heritage of traditional, high-quality, automotive coach- building", he concluded.