You might assume that Anthony Jannarelly, the designer of the intense W Motors Lykan Hypersport, could be found most days driving his own creation, but despite having an obvious affinity to this extreme hypercar, Jannarelly’s personal tastes lean more towards the traditional for daily-driving duties. And that was how the idea behind the car you see came about.
Anthony wanted to design something with pure driving pleasure at its core. “I was often asked if I drove a Lykan and the more I said no, the more I wondered what kind of car I would like to drive on a daily basis,” he said. I” started sketching some ideas during a flight and then met my now partner, Frederic Juillot, who made boats and composite parts and is also based in Dubai.”
The sketches and ideas resulted in a car that is strongly reminiscent of ‘60s-era Italian sports cars. Jannarelly was initially considering building just one for himself but after revealing some details of the upcoming car in the internet, such was the enthusiasm for the project that Anthony and Frederic decided to launch their own sports car brand and put the Design-1 into limited production.
The car is based on a steel/aluminum tubular structure and weighs just 810kg in composite form or 50kg less when constructed totally of carbon fiber. The engine of choice is a 325hp 3.5-liter V6 sourced from Nissan, enough to give this lightweight sportscar a 0-62mph time of under 4 seconds. Being rear-wheel-drive and low to the ground it should be a thoroughly engaging car to drive quickly, and the 499 cars they plan to build will be offered with options like a hardtop or canopy cover and a low-level windshield. The interior and exterior will also be customizable to suit owners’ specific tastes.
David Bagley, co-founder & sales director of Salon Privé said, “I’m thrilled that Anthony and Thomas Ceccaldi, director of Jannarelly Paris, have selected our event to launch the thrilling Design-1 to the UK market. In spite of our continued growth, we have been able to maintain the ambiance and atmosphere that makes Salon Privé such a unique boutique event and it is this environment that I believe is perfect for presenting such a specialized brand as Jannarelly.
By and large, the guests who attend the event are knowledgeable, well-heeled enthusiasts and I’m confident that they will welcome this fabulous new sports car brand when it is unveiled on the lawns of Blenheim Palace.” Salon Privé runs from the 5th to the 8th September and offers a variety of interesting events throughout the weekend,. Further information on the event can be found on their website.
Images courtesy of Salon Privé
