Brabham isn't the only Australian company working on a world-class supercar. There's also Bolwell, a company that's been designing and building sports cars for over 50 years and is an expert in the manufacture of composite materials. It's now working on a new generation of its Nagari supercar.
Bolwell has released the first image of the new car which goes by the name Nagari 500. It debuts next week at the 2019 Motorclassica classic car show running in Melbourne, Australia, with the reveal coinciding with this year's 50th anniversary of the original Mk VIII Nagari.
The Nagari 500 has been in development for more than three years and looks to feature a similar design to the Nagari 300 unveiled in 2008. The two cars will have little in common, though. For instance, the Nagari 500 is thought to be based on a newly designed composite tub combining carbon fiber and Kevlar. This will be crucial to keeping weight down to around 2,200 pounds.
Power meanwhile will come from an LS3 6.2-liter V-8 sourced from General Motors. Mild tuning will help liberate 500 horsepower from the engine but a long list of upgrades for the LS3 in the aftermarket means power-hunger buyers can always add more. Other performance features are expected to include adaptive dampers, a Brembo brake package with carbon-ceramic rotors, and Recaro seats.
Bolwell Nagari 300
Bolwell Director Campbell Bolwell in an interview with Car Sales published on Friday said the car is yet to be tested but should be able to hit 62 mph in under 3.0 seconds and top out somewhere above 186 mph.
Bolwell was founded in 1962 by Graeme Bolwell and Ross McConnell. The company started off selling fiberglass-bodied sports cars in kit car form before starting production of the Mk VIII Nagari in 1970. Around 100 examples were built before production ceased in 1974.
Bolwell's last model was the Nagari 300, which featured a 3.5-liter V-6 sourced from Toyota. At its debut at the 2008 Melbourne International Motor Show, the car was announced with a starting price of $141,535.
Like its predecessors, the Nagari 500 will have limited production, with the first customer examples due in 2020.
