Sawn-off supercars

In my experience there is nothing in this world of automobiles more likely to start people sneering than an ultra-expensive, limited edition, roof and screenless roadster. Even ‘continuation cars’ that seek to plunder a brand’s heritage while filling its coffers with easy profits get a relatively gentle ride by comparison. Ugly, lazy, cynical and pointless are all charges than can, have and will continue to be laid at the door of these sawn-off supercars.

We know the reason such cars exist. Based on existing platforms using barely changed mechanical components, they can – or at least historically could – sell for many times the price of the machine from which they are not that loosely derived. Their line can be traced back most immediately to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss of which 75 were made in 2009, selling for a million bucks a pop and allegedly only to people who’d already bought a ‘normal’ SLR. To the manufacturer, the appeal is not hard to see.