2012 Lyonheart K

In the past year alone, there have been two models designed for the sole purpose of honoring the Jaguar E-Type.
Now we can add another vehicle to that list. Robert Palm, in collaboration with Bo Zolland, has created the Lyonheart K, a new sports car that will be built in its entirety in England. Robert Palm, CEO of Classic Factory, said: "We want to make the ’Made In England’ label into a truthful concept, not just a statement. Every part of the Lyonheart K is developed, engineered and hand-built in England.

The design clues of the Lyonheart K reflect Britishness at its best: cool, elegant, refined, understated yet powerful and dynamic." Lyonheart’s design philosophy for the Lyonheart K was to only use genuine materials, like carbon fiber, leather, veneer, polished stainless steel, brushed aluminum, and chromed metal. In addition to these materials, Lyonhearts Cars is also offering a bespoke program that allows its customers to design the cars according to their wishes. Customers can opt for any desired material on the interior, pick their own, unique dials, or put their initials in the veneer or in the body color. The Lyonheart K - or copycat Jaguar E-Type - is powered by a supercharged V8 engine with 550 HP. The car will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and is electronically limited to 186 mph. Originally, there was only one unit of the Lyonheart K produced to serve as a modern interpretation of the Jaguar E-Type, but it was such a worldwide success that Classic Factory decided it would offer the vehicle in a limited run of 50 units. The ordering book is now open, marking each unit with a $650,000 price tag.

Exterior and Interior

 

Almost everything on the Lyonheart K is made of carbon fiber, including the body panels and closures, the bonnet, the doors, and the boot lid. These elements are combined with a black matrix grille with chromed metal bar and ’L-Shield’ emblem, polished stainless steel brightware to glass surrounds, chrome on the door handles, bumpers and side finishers, and stainless steel central exhaust tailpipes.

On the interior, customers will get the highest quality leather added to all trimmed surfaces including seating, fascia, console, door panels, door pillars, headlining, sun visors, all stowage compartments, and glove box. The car was also equipped with a 7" high-resolution color touch-screen, a Bowers & Wilkins audio system, and the latest generation satellite navigation system.

Engine

The Lyonheart K is powered by a 5.0 liter supercharged V8 engine that delivers a total of 550 HP between 6000-6500rpm and a peak torque of 502lb-ft at 2500-5500rpm. The engine is mated to a ZF 6HP28 6-speed automatic gearbox and sprints the car fro 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 186 mph.

Prices

Lyonheart Cars has opened an ordering book for the first 50 units of the Lyonheart K. The car is priced at EUR 495,000 (without taxes), or about $650,000 at the current exchange rates.

Competition

The Lyonheart K may have the honor of being exclusively built in England, but it’s going to need a lot more than that to tackle on rivals in Jaguar and Aston Martin’s lineups. Its price tag will serve as its main downfall in the end.

topspeed.com