Czech car manufacturer Praga unveiled its extreme R1 race car back in 2012 and is now expanding into the Australian and New Zealand markets.
The company has announced Praga Racing ANZ as its first official dealer in the two markets and will hold exclusive rights to represent Praga and the R1. Praga Razing ANZ will be run by Nik Manukyan, the owner of Euro MotorSport, a leading Australian prestige auto performance and luxury car service specialist.
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The Australian company will take delivery of its first two R1 models in the third quarter of this year and wants to participate in a national race series in early 2022 with them. It will also offer purchase, servicing, and support for any enthusiasts who want to race the cars.
“I am really pleased that Praga Racing ANZ has joined this initial group of Praga Racing partners,” Praga Cars owner Tomas Kasparek said in a statement. “Their background clearly shows excellent client relations in high-performance motoring and significant racing experience, so they are well placed to present the R1 and Praga brand to the standards we expect. We are already building them two R1s, so we are anticipating strong growth in the region once they get racing in 2022.”
Praga Cars is looking to expand into new markets beyond Australia and New Zealand and wants to establish new dealers in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.
The Praga R1 was designed as a mini-LMP racer and features a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 365 hp and 302 lb-ft of torque. While that may not sound like much, the car only weighs about 600 kg (1322 lbs), so the R1 offers plenty of performance.