The Praga Bohema is a brand-new Czech supercar with Nissan GT-R internals. Here’s a closer look at the story behind it…
Praga is a company that’s been around a while – since 1907, in fact. During that time, they’ve built pretty much every type of vehicle that you can think of; bikes, trucks, even planes and tanks! However, before the 2010s, Praga hadn’t actually built a car since 1947. Now though, they’re undergoing one hell of a rebrand.
The Praga R1 racecar arrived in 2012, and in the past few years it’s enjoyed a resurgence of popularity thanks to a new one-make racing series being developed for it. And let’s be honest, it certainly helps that YouTube personality Jimmy Broadbent has been heavily involved with the brand too, documenting his journey from sim racer to real racer behind the wheel of an R1.
A roadgoing version of that racecar was unveiled in 2016, but now, Praga has gone back to the drawing board and come up with this – their first *proper* attempt at a production vehicle.
The first thing you notice about the Praga Bohema is its looks. Of course, style is a subjective matter, but to our eyes at least, its aerodynamic-led aesthetic is simply stunning. Those sharp lines really do make a difference too – Praga reckons that it’ll create 900kg of downforce at 250km/h (155mph): a nod to the fact that although this beast is road legal, it’s still very much track-focused.
Now, while a lot about this car and brand may feel a little unfamiliar, the power unit lurking in its engine bay certainly won’t. Indeed, peel away the engine cover and you’ll find a tuned version of the Nissan GT-R’s VR38DETT V6! As far as bases for modified engines go, the VR38 is hardly a bad place to start, I’m sure you’ll agree. According to Praga, the version of the engine that’s made its way into the Bohema will produce a whopping 700bhp @ 6800rpm, as well as 725Nm (534 lb ft) of torque @ 3000rpm. This is thanks to some fettling by renowned GT-R tuners, Litchfield, who upgrade the turbos and exhaust system, and add a dry sump in place of the wet one.
With a kerb weight of just 982kg, that means that the Praga Bohema has a better power to weight ratio than a Le Mans Hypercar! As a result, 62mph arrives in just 2.3 seconds, while the top speed is recorded as more than 300km/h (186mph). It’s worth remembering though that this car isn’t about breaking speed records – it’s about going round corners quicker than anything else.
Pushrod suspension with horizontally mounted coilovers has been designed to help it achieve that feat, aided by carbon fibre wishbones and control arms. Six-piston carbon ceramic brake discs are tasked with bringing the Bohema to a stop, while the staggered 18 & 19-inch rims they sit behind come wrapped in a set of Pirelli Trofeo Rs. However, if you’re feeling really hardcore, you can also get a set of slicks for track use.
If you’re interested in buying a Praga Bohema of your own, you’ll need rather deep pockets. Only 89 will ever be built, priced at a mind-boggling £1.32 million apiece.
