Vuhl 05 proves supercars can be made in Mexico, too

[Suarez™]

Mexican supercar-maker Vuhl has started accepting orders for its roofless, doorless, glassless 05 open-air sports car. We first heard about Vuhl back in 2013 when it introduced the skeletal street racer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Vuhl is led by brothers Guillermo and Iker Echeverria at its home base in Mexico City. The two have gasoline in their blood thanks to their father Guillermo Sr., who drove professionally and was a tinkerer at home.

A 2.0-liter Ford motor powers the 05 with 285 hp. A curb weight of 1,532 pounds (372 hp per ton) should make the barchetta feel faster than a Corvette (275 hp per ton) and a bit slower than, say, a Viper (385 hp per ton). The sprint to 60 mph should take about 3.5 seconds.

"The Vuhl 05 design is inspired in Can-Am racers from the '70s," Iker Echeverria told CNN. "No doors, no roof, no windscreen and an exposed roll bar. The challenge was to make the essence of this iconic car work in a contemporary concept without looking like a retro."

The 05 takes pieces from all corners of the globe during production. The tub is from Mexico, the engine is American and some of the body panels come from Canada. Additionally, 50 percent of the total parts are from Great Britain.

Vuhl says it plans to produce about 25 cars per year, which will sell for 60,000 British pounds, which converts to about $78,000.