Praga Bohema enters production
Praga’s first road legal hypercar has entered production in the Czech Republic. First revealed as a prototype in 2022, the Praga Bohema may be the last new petrol-powered hypercar and will be produced in low numbers over the next four years.
The first customers of the Bohema were invited to Praga’s bespoke assembly facility to see the hand built manufacturing process for the hypercar which weighs below 1,000kgs and produces 700hp. The Czech brand will use the highest quality materials to produce the all-carbon aero-driven two-seater, including standard Pirelli Trofeo R tyres which clients got to see take on icy Czech roads.
The Bohema will be publicly revealed in spring and the first customer handover will take place in Europe soon after. Further handovers are planned in the UAE and USA in 2024 before production ramps up next year.
To get to this point, the road legal hypercar has undergone intensive preparations on the road in the pre-production and development phase with on-track testing taking place on famous tracks including Spa-Francorchamps, the Red Bull Ring and Nürburgring. Expert advice was sought from esteemed drivers from various forms of racing, with F1 and IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean, former Stig Ben Collins and Praga’s Chief Test Driver, and experienced GT racer, Josef Kral all getting behind the wheel.
We keep an eye on all things Praga at Driven, as podcast co-host Miles Lacey competed for Praga Racing ANZ in the Australian Prototype Series in 2023. Lacey made his Australian racing debut at The Bend, Adelaide and after a last-minute flight around the world just in time to race, managed a P2 finish on debut in the third and final race of the weekend. He finished the season back at The Bend where he just missed out on a podium finish.
Ben Collins, Praga R1 racing driver and Bohema test driver, said; “This Summer I travelled across Europe and the Middle East showcasing the Praga Bohema to customers and sharing the unique experience it delivers. As the car goes into production we are one step closer to seeing these incredible cars in customers’ hands on the street, on the track and doing what they were made for. 2024 will be a very special year for Praga and their customers.”
Tomas Kasparek, owner of Praga Cars, said; “This is an important milestone for Praga in our long 117-year history. We’re especially proud to be commencing production only one year after revealing the Bohema prototype car. We are monitoring every stage of the build process very closely to make sure that the Bohema production car matches, and even exceeds, our customers’ expectations.”
Limited test drive opportunities in Europe and the UK will begin in Spring before Praga activates its North American and Middle East Bohema launch programmes in 2024.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Praga