VUHL 05RR

Mexico might not have a locally designed volume- production vehicle yet but it has cracked the high- performance market. The VUHL 05RR is the country’s first road-legal lightweight supercar, according to VUHL, the family-owned company behind the car.

Designed from scratch by the Echeverría brothers, Guillermo and Iker, the 05RR is the latest iteration of the VUHL 05, which was the company’s first venture into the supercar market. Although Mexican by design, the car is the result of an international effort. Its hybrid body is manufactured in Canada, while the final assembly is performed in Mexico under the guidance of industrial design company Adman Leku.

The car weighs only 640kg and has a weight distribution of 40:60 from front to rear. Its height is barely above 1.1m and it has a ground clearance of 0.1m. The 05RR can deliver 385bhp of power and 500Nm of torque thanks to its 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine with a displacement of 2,300cc, coupled to a Sadev six-speed sequential transmission.

Compared to its predecessor, the 05RR is 55kg lighter and enjoys increased power and torque, by 100bhp and 80Nm respectively. The 05RR’s aerodynamics are also boosted by a flat underbody, front and lateral splitters, a rear diffuser and spoiler. As a result, the vehicle can reach a top speed of 254km/h. In terms of acceleration, the VUHL can go from 0 to 100km/h in just 2.7s and brake from 100 to 0km/h in just 30m.

The core of the 05RR is a hybrid carbon-aluminum bonded chassis with a honeycomb structural floor, which is the secret behind its lightweight nature. The chassis or X-Vario platform is made of 6061-T6 aluminum and is connected to a suspension optimized for both road and track use thanks to its excellent torsional stiffness properties. In terms of safety, the car is equipped with a three-stage-programmed energy-absorption aluminum crash box, double-layer aluminum high walls and optional five-point, harness Schroth seat belts approved by the Economic Commission for Europe and the International Automobile Federation.