Ares Design, the Italian coach builder led by former Lotus CEO Dany Bahar, has come up with an open version of the previously unveiled S1 Project. The S1 Project Spyder, like its close brother, is based on the Chevrolet Corvette C8. Ares promises some pretty dazzling specifications.
Ares Design is certainly not averse to roaring marketing terms. According to the coachbuilder, the S1 Project Spyder is ‘pure emotion’, whereby the company mainly strives for a more authentic supercar experience. In the dense S1 Project, Ares spoke of similar terms, but in the Spyder, the elements have more freedom over the driver. Following the example of the McLaren Elva, Ferrari Monza and Aston Martin V12 Speedster, the windscreen is missing from the S1 Project Spyder. Instead, two small caps have been placed to direct the airflow in the right direction. This air then ends up in two air inlets that are placed directly above both headrests. Probably no lack of intake noise, so. The bronze-colored wheels and accents in turn match the minimalist designed brown interior, which is richly covered with leather and Alcantara.
Furthermore, the design is unchanged from the dense S1 Project. The aggressive look remains, with a front that resembles an LMP1 racer and a rear that appears to be inspired by the Bugatti Chiron. The exhausts sit à la Porsche 918 Spyder on top of the stern. This must produce a spectacular sound, because the 715 hp V8 that lies behind the occupants is unblown and, according to Ares, only out of breath at 8,800 revolutions per minute. Ares presumably took the block of the Chevrolet Corvette C8 as a starting point, but it is not clear exactly what adjustments have been made. Via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the power finds its way to the rear wheels. To ensure that the S1 Project Spyder also holds its own in corners, it has adaptive dampers with Magnetic Ride Control.
Whether and if so when the Project S1 Spyder will find its way to the market is not yet known. Ares Design does not give up a price either. A closed S1 Project should in any case already yield € 500,000. The first deliveries should take place at the end of this year, but the supercar has not yet been spotted in person. A matter of: see first, then believe.