Huet Brothers Use Crowdfunding To Build Prototype Of Their HB Coupe

If you’re a Carscoops regular, you might recall that in 2014 we ran a story about two Dutch brothers and their plans to build a Miata-based, retro-styled coupe.

At the time, they were waiting for Mazda to launch the fourth-generation MX-5 Miata in order to use its underpinnings. They also needed to secure funding for the HB Coupe. Fast forward to 2019, and the Huet Brothers are getting ready to build the first prototype of their coupe.

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, Paul and Tino Huet managed to accomplish important steps towards their goal of putting the HB Coupe into production.

For example, the design phase is now complete, and a 1:1 scale model has been built. The latter has helped the brothers find small imperfections in the lines and update the design accordingly. The coachbuilder also says it has secured a drivetrain for the HB Coupe.

Finally, the company has spent more than a year to put in place legislation procedures and production plans. The next steps are to build a fully functioning prototype and then obtain regulatory clearance.

Despite adopting a retro design, the HB Coupe is quite modern. It features a lightweight carbon fiber monocoque with modern creature comforts and safety features. It comes with a modern (yet unspecified) drivetrain and promises to be easy to maintain and fun to drive.

The car will be offered in two versions, classic and Road Racer, while the engine shall be available with 184 PS (181 hp) or 248 PS (245 hp). The least powerful unit matches the output of the facelifted MX-5‘s 2.0-liter engine, but second remains an unknown quantity. Considering that the targeted curb weight is a featherweight 800 kg (1,764 lbs), we’re looking forward to seeing the performance specs.