Bolwell Nagari supercar to return

After more than three years of development, Australian sports car maker Bolwell is months away from unleashing its new rear-wheel drive 373kW Nagari 500 supercar – and it could be destined for export markets throughout Asia.

The born-again Nagari is tipped to make its public debut at the 2019 Motorclassica car show in Melbourne in October and first deliveries are expected to begin in 2020, although pricing is yet to be confirmed.

Powered by a mid-mounted Chevrolet LS3 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8, hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission, the Bolwell Nagari 500 will tip the scales at under 1000kg, giving it incendiary performance.

Bolwell Corporation director Campbell Bolwell couldn’t hide his excitement about the new Nagari, which he said would deliver blistering pace and dynamic rear-drive handling.

"The beauty of the Nagari 500 is that it weighs under a tonne," Bolwell told carsales.com.au.

"It's [also] a 6.2-litre V8 and it’s mildly tuned. It spins up to 500hp. You can add a supercharger if you want … it goes on and on. I've been driving it and it's very, very fast.

"We want to launch it at Motorclassica. That's the plan at this stage, [but] it could change. The display car, the prototype is on the road. We've been driving it and it's a rocket -- it's Australia's supercar," he enthused.

Bolwell started life in 1962 and, after brothers Campbell and Graeme moved on from producing six-cylinder GM-powered kit cars in suburban Melbourne, the original Bolwell Nagari was born 50 years ago in 1969.

Bolwell built about 100 examples of its first fully-fledged production model -- the fibreglass-bodied, Ford V8-powered Nagari – between 1970 and 1974, then shut up shop until 2009 when the Bolwell Nagari name was revived for an even more rapid carbon-bodied supercar with a mid-mounted supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota V6.

As Campbell explains, the reason for introducing an all-new Nagari model is to mark an important milestone.

"We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Nagari, which was launched in 1969. It was a beautiful car for its era. It had a Ford V8, mid/front-engined, very good weight distribution and it won some races too."

The new Bolwell Nagari 500 will bring several advanced features to the table including adaptive dampers, an 8.0-inch central display, digital instrument cluster, keyless entry and push-button starting, plus Recaro seats and Brembo brakes with carbon-ceramic rotors.

Depending on its performance the Nagari 500 could be a rival for some Ferrari models with talk of a 0-100km/h time of around three seconds. The previous Nagari 300 was more of a Porsche Cayman and Lotus Exige competitor, but this beast could be a proper giant-slayer.

Bolwell said the two-seat coupe will feature traditional doors, "a lot of electronics" and “lots of interesting tech”.

“Oh, and it looks fabulous, but I am biased!"

But he admits that while production will begin next year, pricing and delivery timing is yet to be determined.

“The moment we release this thing people will ask: ‘how fast? How much does it cost? When can I have one?’ The answer is I don't know yet,” said Campbell.

The new Nagari – which stems from an Indigenous Australian word that means 'to flow' – will be extremely limited, with a maximum annual build of 25 units… unless exports to Asia get the green light.

Bolwell observed that the "Asian market is crying out for this sort of vehicle" and "The growth of supercars in the Asian market is fantastic”.

Although it would require "serious investment", the Bolwell boss said the company is investigating several options in regards to expanding output via export opportunities.

"It'll be a limited production run… but it depends. If it's just Australia, it'll be 25 cars per year. I don’t think we're ready for 25 per annum just yet, we'll see. But the big markets are overseas.

“This complies with all ADRs [Australian design rules], which are some of the strictest regulations in the world, so it's possible to ship it overseas.

"The tooling is complete. It'll come fairly well optioned. It won't be at the cheap end of things, as we're looking at possibly standard carbon-ceramic dics, Brembo callipers and making our own lightweight wheels. There's no sense putting cheap stuff in.

"We can't fix a price at this stage because some components are still to be locked in," said Bolwell.

While a six-speed manual is a given, the company is considering a six-speed sequential gearbox too, which would appeal to a wider range of buyers.

"An auto? I wouldn’t rule it out," said Bolwell.

"We've been talking to different gearbox manufacturers. The one we're looking at as a potential is a sequential box. We're looking at it -- that's as close to an auto as you can get it [for this car]."

Other details confirmed for the Nagari 500 include 40/60 per cent front/rear weight distribution and 300mm-wide rear and 250mm-wide front tyres.

"You need those big wheels because it generates so much power," laughed Bolwell.

"The younger generation probably haven’t heard of it much but the cars are what we're known for. It's a great door-opener. The tech we developed over the years we showcase in the cars. The tech is world-class. What other supercar weighs under a tonne?"

Bolwell is clearly pumped about the prospect of a modern-day Nagari, saying the excitement within the company is phenomenal.

"We've been going at this for three years. The two people involved in the first Nagari 50 years ago, namely my brother Graeme and Ross McConnell, are back for this car.

"And I gotta tell you these people are a dying breed. We had an Aussie guy that helped develop the suspension. He was 25 years old, he got it done, then Audi came in and took him back to Germany. Some of the talent in Australia is phenomenal."

Bolwell is passionate about Australian innovation and manufacturing, and while the company has factories in Thailand and has expanded into building caravans and engineering, designing and manufacturing composite components, sports cars showcase what the company is capable of and where it came from.

"It's another feather in Australia's cap. We've been in composites for 60 years and this uses aerospace tech in a way that can apply to motor vehicles.

At the heart of the Nagari 500 is a new composite tub that gives the car high levels of rigidity yet is extremely light and safe.

"It's based on a central tub and uses all assorts of reinforcement, carbon-fibre, Kevlar and glass, and this forms a safety capsule like a composite roll cage.

"The concept is that if you have a major prang, it doesn’t matter if the wheels go one way, the motor the goes other, the capsule maintains its shape. It’s like a racing car -- the capsule protects the occupants."