2020 Ares Design Panther ProgettoUno – Huracan-based supercar with modern V10 power, retro looks

Ares Design, the Modena-based bespoke coachbuilder founded by Dany Bahar, has finally launched the Panther ProgettoUno, a supercar that marries modern powertrain and technology with old-school looks. Only 21 units will be made for the global market, and the estimated delivery period is 12 weeks.

The car is a proper production version of the Project Panther, and it’s built on the bones of the Lamborghini Huracan. It even shares the same 5.2 litre naturally-aspirated V10 engine that’s fettled to deliver 650 hp at 8,250 rpm and 600 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm.

A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox sends drive to all four wheels, allowing the Panther ProgettoUno to do the century sprint in 3.1 seconds. Top speed is 325 km/h. The AWD system features an electronically controlled fifth-generation Haldex differential with a mechanical self-locking function, too.

Other hardwares include fully independent double wishbone suspension at all four corners, ventilated carbon ceramic discs (380 mm up front with six-piston calipers, 356 mm units at the back with four-piston calipers), plus an integrated high strength steel roll cage. It sits on mixed profile five-spoke wheels (20-inch at the front and 21-inch at the back) shod with Pirelli P Zero tyres as standard.

It’s a modern car through and through, but its style is very much inspired by the De Tomaso Pantera, a mid-engined sports car produced by Italian automaker De Tomaso from 1971 to 1993. The Panther ProgettoUno features full carbon-fibre wedged-shape body and bi-LED headlights, although it’s unclear if the pop-up units comply with modern safety regulations.

Ares designed the car in-house using extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling, which it says help produce a suitably slippery profile with a drag coefficient value of 0.324. These aero parts include the CF wing mirrors, CF side intakes aft of the door windows (feeding air into the engine), and vented bonnet designed to guide airflow towards the tail.

Inside, the retro-styled dashboard meets with the latest digital toys of the modern motoring world, complete with a fully digital instrument panel. True to its goal of being retro-inspired, there’s no infotainment unit in the middle, just two rectangular holes for the old-school air vents.

Further down is the centre console which features three tiny gauges and a whole raft of buttons. There’s also a traditional open-grid shifter, but the car gets a DCT, meaning the stick is used purely for aesthetic effect. The cabin can be further customised with premium materials such as Nappa leather and Alcantara.

For the best audio fidelity, Ares Design teamed up with Daniel Hertz, a high-performance audio company (based in Switzerland) founded by Mark Levinson in 2007. It’s the first time the brand is used in the automotive industry – Daniel Hertz traditionally makes premium speakers and audio equipment for home use. The Panther ProgettoUno features three tweeters, four mid-range speakers and four woofers.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.