Yes, there’s a little Porsche Cayman there, and the Artega GT does have a 3.6-liter Volkswagen-sourced V-6 engine, so there is sort of a link to the family. But the styling, penned by Henrik Fisker, is cleaner than a Cayman. Fisker is, after all, the man responsible for much of the current look of the Aston Martin portfolio. Hardy Essig, a former Porsche engineer, helped develop the drivetrain.
Performance, though, should not be that far removed from the Cayman S, if indeed the Artega GT comes in with the rumored 300 horsepower and a top speed in excess of 160 mph. Price is expected to be just under $100,000. Production, limited to 500 a year, is supposed to begin late in 2007, with sales starting in mid-2008. No word on whether there’s a U.S. importer waiting in the wings. The Artega GT is smaller and less luxury oriented than past Fisker designs, such as the Tramonto and Latigo CS (based on the Mercedes-Benz SL-class and BMW 6-series, respectively). This car represents a departure for the coachbuilder, but a decidedly successful one.
