This $1.5M Czech supercar boasts 700 hp and hyper-exclusivity

Car freaks, meet the Praga Bohema, perhaps the most explosive Czech export since the 1989 Velvet Revolution. And for $1.5 million plus tax, you can be part of the commotion.

The Bohema packs 700 hp and is just 2,300 pounds
The storied Czech manufacturer, which pivoted from cars to truck parts after World War II, is hoping to put its name back in automotive lights with its newly announced supercar, which boasts an impressively low curb weight of 2,300 pounds, a 700-hp twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6 engine and a top speed approaching 200 mph. Zero to 62 miles per hour is reported to arrive in 2.3 seconds.

After a seven-year development process that included input from ex-Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean, the first production Bohema was handed over today (DEC 6) to a customer in the Netherlands.

Grosjean challenged the automaker to produce a car that would satisfy a serious driver while also allowing two adults to travel in comfort with some luggage. He seems to feel his targets were met.

F1 racer Romain Grosjean waxed lyrical on the duality of the Bohema
“On the road, you get a smooth ride, the car eliminates bumps, you can chat with passenger and everything is calm,” Grosjean said in a statement. “Then simply switch focus and you are on the track. The same clothes, the same car, but the feeling changes and you are pushing the limit.”

Part of that on-track performance certainly is down to the Bohema’s power-to-weight ratio, especially when considering that seven-figure supercars such as the Bugatti Chiron tip the scales at around double the heft of the Bohema.

Bohema packs the usual supercar ingredients, from carbon to titanium
Praga’s engineers achieved Grosjean’s high performance wishes by refining the car’s aggressively exotic exterior with the help of an F1 wind tunnel. 

The resulting aerodynamics produce a reported 2,000 pounds of downforce at 155 mph. Designers also made ample use of carbon fiber, magnesium alloy, titanium and other lightweight but strong materials.

What’s more, the Praga Litchfield dry-sump V6 , which takes its orders from a Hewland sequential gearbox, is positioned low in the car just behind the passengers, to optimize weight distribution and lower the vehicle’s center of gravity.

A race-focused interior still promises ample room for two going on a (short) road trip
Inside the cockpit, Bohema owners are greeting with a mix of carbon fiber, Alcantara and leather appointments. While narrow, the passenger space is said to be ample for six-footers, and adjustable pedals and steering wheel ensure that the driver’s ergonomics are met.

“Making something complicated is easy, but delivering something supposedly simple is difficult, and yet we set out to provide a special group of owners with what’s basically a race driver’s supercar: lightweight, all carbon, ultimate aero and high power,” Jan Martinek, Praga’s engineering director, said in a statement.

Praga promises its supercar's new owners one big bonus perk: hyper-exclusivity
Although it seems hard to believe, these days there are a growing number of auto options for those shopping in the $1 million and up category, a price point that a few decades ago would have seemed preposterous.

Final thoughts
But one thing is for certain. Bohema owners will get bragging rights at any cars and coffee given the company plans to only make 20 cars a year over the next four years, and will limit the U.S. market to 24 of those 80. The other allocations include Europe (20 cars), the Middle East (12), South Asia (16) and Japan (12).

So you want a Praga but you can’t quite afford a Bohema? You can always pony up for a Praga Kart, those zippy mini-racers that have been the stepping stones for F1 drivers for decades. Hey, it's a start.