After seven years of development, Czech-based auto manufacturer Praga delivered its first production car in 77 years to one lucky customer in the Netherlands, and the world is better for it. We have seen plenty of Bugattis and Ferraris roaming around lately, but Bohema looks, drives, and feels like nothing we’ve seen before.
Just two years ago, Praga debuted a pre-production prototype. Since then, engineers have been tweaking, testing, checking, rechecking, and whittling down the car’s weight to just 2,300 pounds of wet weight (meaning with all fluids topped off and ready to go).
Owner Tomas Kasparek said in a press release:
“We always promised no concepts, no teasers, no b-s… just a pure, lightweight, very fast and beautifully appointed road-legal race car for a limited number of supercar buyers who can really drive – and that’s what we have delivered.”
The Bohema is hand-built, using a full carbon body and monocoque tub that allows for incredible strength without added weight. The body was honed using computational fluid dynamics modeling, followed by plenty of time in an F1 wind tunnel. Everything on the Bohema has a specific purpose, including the big ducktail rear spoiler that can create as much as 1,984 pounds of downforce at 155 mph.
Power comes from a mid-mounted aluminum block and heads PL38DETT 3.8-liter twin-turbo DOHC V-6. This engine is a collaboration between Praga and Litchfield Engineering, which, among other things, converts the engines to a dry-sump lubrication system that not only keeps the engine safe during hard cornering, it also allows the Bohema to corner harder thanks to a 5.5-inch reduction in engine height and the resulting lower center of gravity. Power peaks at an impressive 700 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 535 pound-feet of torque, which, even more impressively, is sustained from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm.
That power is then routed through a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox featuring bespoke helical cut gears that can be shifted semi-automatically via F1-style paddle shifters. A tuned titanium exhaust disperses exhaust gasses and has all the snap, crackle, and pop and owner could want, while still remaining civilized enough to hold a conversation inside the narrow cockpit.
Praga did design the Bohema to be a true road-going car. It has a seventeen-gallon fuel tank, making road trips relatively easy and avoiding too many Kardashian-like rest area stops full of photos and questions. Deep storage areas are designed into the rear wheel arches, which the custom and optional carbon-fiber luggage fits perfectly into, much like we’ve seen on the BMW i8 in the past.
The steering wheel is removable to allow easier ingress and egress, while the sculpted interior has ergonomic recesses built into it so neither the driver nor passenger’s arms or elbows would jostle for position, like being in the middle seat on a coach flight. Storage pockets and even a smartphone mount accentuate the hand-stitched Alcantara and machined HVAC controls and air vents to underscore the idea that the Bohema is more than just a legal F1 car. That being said, the entire cockpit uses just 75 pounds of material.
Mark Harrison, Sales and Marketing Director for Praga Cars, said:
“The quality of the first Bohema that Praga has delivered cannot be understated. It is very easy to promise car enthusiasts an enticing new vehicle, but incredibly hard to design, develop and then produce a car that delivers on that promise. Praga has done exactly that with the Bohema: a supercar of superb quality in production and performance – with an earned right to be considered by all collectors.”
Though the Praga Bohema is a road car, make no mistake that it has all the DNA to thrill and impress anyone who can afford to jump behind the wheel. Horizontally mounted pushrod-operated adjustable dampers allow for maximum travel at a minimum increase in height. Staggered central-locking wheels measure 18 inches in front and 19 inches in back. Six-piston calipers clamp down on carbon-ceramic discs to scrub off speed at a moment’s notice.
And there is plenty of speed. With just 3.29 pounds per horsepower to move, Praga says its rear-wheel drive Bohema can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a scant 2.3 seconds and top out at 197 mph.
Praga plans to limit production of the Bohema to less than 20 cars per year over the next four years. The company also plans to support all of its future owners well beyond the production line, so it is focusing on specific markets to sell the Bohema with a maximum amount slated for each area. The UK and Europe will get a max of 20
Finally, the Praga Bohema costs a cool 1.43 million Euro, which equates to just over $1.5 million. But as with all low-production hypercars, the exclusivity and rarity of a vehicle like the Praga Bohema make it more than worthwhile to some wealthy car enthusiasts.
Standard Vehicle Specification: Praga Bohema – road-legal supercar
Weight (wet): 2,300 lbs
Weight to Power: 3.29 lb per hp
Interior: bespoke steering wheel, switchgear and systems
Pedals, seat, and steering wheel adjustable
Leather / Alcantara trimmed seats and surfaces
Exterior: 2 x 1.76 cubic-foot side pods with bespoke leather luggage
Aerodynamics honed at an F1 wind tunnel
Chassis key features:
Left / Right-hand drive 2-seat configuration
Mid-rear mounted engine
Rear wheel drive
Structural design of carbon composite monocoque and rear-mounted chrome-moly frame
Carbon fibre body panels
18” front; 19” rear aluminum wheels / Surface Transform carbon disc brakes / 6-piston calipers
Powertrain key features:
Praga – Litchfield PL38DETT engine 3.8l V6 twin-turbo
6-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shift operation
Bespoke turbo, dry sump and titanium exhaust system
Performance:
700 bhp @ 6,800 rpm
535 lb-ft between 3,000 and 6,000 rpm
0 – 100 km/h (62 mph): 2.3s
Downforce: 1,984 lbs @ 155 mph
Top speed: 197 mph
