Remember Dallara Automobili? This Italian chassis manufacturer, if you recollect, is famous for motorsport development for Formula 1, IndyCar Series, GP2 /GP3 Series, Super Formula, Formula E, Formula 3 and Endurance racing. Now, the founder of Dallara, racing legend Gian Paolo Dallara will be turning 81 in November this year, and accordingly, he plans to unveil a road car commemorating this anniversary. The prototype of this road car was spotted testing on public roads ahead of its debut slated towards the end of the year.
Rumours of the chassis manufacturer building a road-going car were long overdue anyway. And by the looks of it, Dallara intends to remain true to its motorsport roots with this two-seater sports car. Dallara seems to have taken the same approach as the Radical RX here, with its unique body style. However, a Barchetta body style may also on the cards. The yet-to-be-named road car will have a mid-mounted 2.4-litre turbocharged engine sourced from Ford. Its power output is expected to be around 400bhp and it will be available in manual transmission only.
The styling of the road car is exactly what you’d expect from a manufacturer who has been involved in making racecars since 1972. The extensive weight saving measures with carbon fibre monocoque is aimed to keep the weight down to 800kg. The giant rear wing hovering over the roofline and the snug nose is all work of aerodynamics with ample air vents and air channels for better airflow and increased downforce on this lightweight car. There’s a large diffuser at the rear with a twin exhaust set-up. The headlamps, tail lamps and mirrors are all part of making this Le Mans prototype-looking car become more road legal.
The X-Bow, however, will always be the benchmark road car for this chassis maker, given that they helped KTM in developing this car. So expect the pricing and other technical gimmicks to be on par with the Austrian. Expect the interior to be bare bones, although some creature comfort like air-conditioning and Alcantara upholstery may be included.
Dallara will build this road-going car in a new factory just adjacent to their racing development centre in Indiana, USA. According to speculations, the company plans to produce 600 units only at the rate of 10 per month over the next five-years.
