Believe it or not, the Panoz Esperante is still being produced, despite the fact that it was introduced back in 2000. Furthermore, the low-volume American sports car manufacturer has released a special edition model of the Esperante Spyder, called the 25th Anniversary Edition.
The name refers to the 25th anniversary of the company’s carmaking activity, not the Esperante’s. The first unit of the limited edition features a radiant red exterior, carbon fiber accents, tan leather interior and V8 engine. Panoz hopes to build about 25 units of the Esperante Spyder 25th Anniversary Edition and Spyder GT, despite a steep base price of $181,320 (€131,340) for the Spyder.
However, the company says production “will be intentionally limited to a handful of custom builds for select customers, keeping with the Panoz LLC’s goal of creating America’s most exclusive custom sports car.”
Compared with the original hand-built Panoz convertible, the Esperante Spyder features lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum structures, a modular extruded aluminum chassis, completely revised and fully independent front and rear suspension, and an upgraded anti-lock brake system (ABS).
Customers can choose between two sports car bodies: a lightweight aluminum body on the standard Spyder or carbon fiber body panels for the Spyder GT. Available V8 powertrain packages range from 430 to 800 horsepower.
The cockpit features high-tech gauges to monitor the car’s vital systems, lightweight and fully adjustable carbon fiber sport seats, high-quality leather and wood-trim, as well as media player connectivity and a race-inspired carbon fiber steering wheel.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
