Lobini H1: have you ever met this Brazilian sports car?
One day you will
By Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
January 30, 2008 1:15 am
Filed Under: Specialty Marques
Brazil has a long tradition of hand-made sports cars, due to the import prohibition that the country faced for almost 20 years. Since automakers did not produce them, and people were not able to buy the ones that were sold abroad, they started working on their own. When imports where once again legal, most of the small sports car manufacturers disappeared. Lobini is one of the few that have been created exactly after the competition with foreign cars was allowed. And it is doing pretty good with its first product, the H1, intended to face other competitors not only in Brazil, but all over the world.
Initial plans were to sell it to the USA and to the UK, but the Brazilian currency value is not at its best rate for exports, so Lobini’s executives will wait a little longer to sell the car abroad and to improve its production. Meanwhile, all the H1 production will be absorbed by Brazilian customers, at least the ones that can afford to buy one. The Lobini H1 costs R$ 170,000, almost US$ 96,000. Most carmakers in Brazil blame taxes for the stratospheric prices, so the H1 could cost a lot less in foreign countries.
The H1 is a mid-engine rear wheel drive car with scissor doors and independent suspension in all wheels. It is 3.72 m long, 1.18 m high and 1.80 m wide, with a short wheelbase (2.40 m), what turns it into a car for experienced drivers, especially considering its AUQ 1.8 T engine, the same one used in the former generation of the Audi A3, capable of delivering 180 bhp. The low weight (1,030 kg) gives the car good performance numbers: maximum speed of 240 km/h and a time below 6 s to reach 100 km/h from immobility.
To reinforce is sportive aura, Lobini has managed to place H1 as the pace car for the Brazilian GT3, the best way to put the car in touch with the Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari vehicles it will some day meet in American and European roads. Most probably sooner than we can imagine.
Source: LobiniInitial plans were to sell it to the USA and to the UK, but the Brazilian currency value is not at its best rate for exports, so Lobini’s executives will wait a little longer to sell the car abroad and to improve its production. Meanwhile, all the H1 production will be absorbed by Brazilian customers, at least the ones that can afford to buy one. The Lobini H1 costs R$ 170,000, almost US$ 96,000. Most carmakers in Brazil blame taxes for the stratospheric prices, so the H1 could cost a lot less in foreign countries.
The H1 is a mid-engine rear wheel drive car with scissor doors and independent suspension in all wheels. It is 3.72 m long, 1.18 m high and 1.80 m wide, with a short wheelbase (2.40 m), what turns it into a car for experienced drivers, especially considering its AUQ 1.8 T engine, the same one used in the former generation of the Audi A3, capable of delivering 180 bhp. The low weight (1,030 kg) gives the car good performance numbers: maximum speed of 240 km/h and a time below 6 s to reach 100 km/h from immobility.
To reinforce is sportive aura, Lobini has managed to place H1 as the pace car for the Brazilian GT3, the best way to put the car in touch with the Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari vehicles it will some day meet in American and European roads. Most probably sooner than we can imagine.
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Comments
mickey_f1
January 30, 2008 7:37 am
It's just too expensive! And the styling is...indifferent. I also doubt the Brazilian quality. Not that the car is bad, but for a similar price I'd buy a Caterham that could outpace most supercars and it would have some style despite looking strange.
TweeKeer
January 30, 2008 10:42 am
It looks like a Honda Del Sol/NSX mix on the outside and more boring than a Corolla on the outside
GiovaneO
January 30, 2008 11:10 am
Knowing that a Honda Civic 1.8 built in Brazil costs about R$80.000 (US$ 45700) there, I don't think this would be too expensive when exported, without those really high brazilian taxes..
_M7_
January 30, 2008 3:09 pm
too fkng ugly for me....from 3/4 view look like a duck for me XD sorry...the engine pfff a girls motor... and for that money I can get the Nissan GTR, no?
m555david
February 1, 2008 4:25 am
Actually, i wouldn't go that far by calling it ugly and wouldn't say it is ugly. Given a history of Formula One, many talented drivers came from Brazil. Thats because in Brazil they have very good driving schools and therefore know thing or two about perfect aerodynamics of the car and how to build one. The Fact that they were secluded from the rest of the world doesn't mean much to people that buy racing cars, and know that Brazil does have an expertise in building competitive sports cars. They quickly will become real competition to Boxer and Exige(their prices are only high because of taxes) and with more serious models in the future easily take on on mighty italians. So behold Italy, in 10 years you will have the real Competition.
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